Descent into Darkness
by landofthekwt
Summary: Inuyasha descends into darkness after Kagome and Sesshoumaru are mated after the last battle I do not own Inuyasha et al. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the Corporations which hold rights to the.
1. The Death of Dreams

This morning the sun arose with hope. Naraku was gone. The Jewel was gone. Todaywas the day that Kagome would become his mate.

This morning her smile illuminated his day; she made him believe that even a hanyou had value and was worthy of love.

But now as he sat in Goshinboku all he could see were the dark rain clouds which covered his forest. The hope he had this morning was gone along with Kagome.

The person whom he fought so hard to protect his Tetsusaiga from had instead stolen

the thing most precious to him, Kagome. She was gone forever and there was nothing in this world which would ever bring her back to him.

Why had he not seen it coming? Were there secret meetings or clandestine rendevous?

Was it his fault? Was he not enough for her? Was he not worthy of her?

All he knew was that when Kagome and Sesshoumaru left all of his hopes and hisdreams flew with them into the West. For him there was no future.

Whom could he trust? She had been the only person he had ever trusted.

Whom would tell him that he was no longer alone.. Now that she was gone he was truly alone.

Who would bring him back from death by his desire to be at her side.? There would be no one at this side any more.

Whom could he believe now that her promise to always stay by her side had been broken? It was her promise that had mended his heart and caused him to dream of a better life.

How could he love when the ones he had loved had been taken from him ?

Now all of his dreams were revealed as nightmares in which his worst dreams had been had been realized. The Darkness descended upon him.

With the night came the death of hope which would never see another sunrise.


	2. Exile

He gazed out over Kaede's village. The smoldering embers were just beginning to cool.

The sounds of the prior night were still ringing in his ears. The screaming of the people as they rushed to escape the blaze. The roar of the fire as it raced through the village. The sounds of the terrified animals fleeing the inferno.

As he surveyed the damage, he was struck by what had escaped his fury. Kaede's hut, the Torii Gate, the stairs and Kikyo's shrine were undamaged. The kami must provide protection to their own shrine from fools such as himself.

As he tried to remember the previous evening it was a blur of grief over the departure of Kagome

and the bottle of sake in which he had drowned that grief. The flames reminded of him of the fires he had set fifty years ago. On that day both he and Kikyo had died. Yesterday he had died when Kagome had left him. Now she was dead to him. With her had died all of his hopes and his dreams.

She had been his home. Now his home was gone. He could not stay here. He had destroyed Kaede's village in his grief. The humans would view him as just another demon to be purified.

What could he say to the companions of the quest? Miroku and Sango would soon be married and would be leaving for the demonslayers village. They had their own lives and their own futures. Shippou would think that somehow he had driven Kagome to leave with Sesshoumaru.

He could not stay in his forest. There were too many reminders of her. The tree where she

had restored his life mocked him. That renewed life now seemed totally empty of meaning and purpose. The well was worst. It was the means by which she had come to this world.

He wanted to destroy them. The well and the tree. He wondered what held him back. All he could feel for her now was a burning and smoldering hate. Yet he could not destroy

the objects of his anger. Did he still love her? He desperately needed to get her out of his mind and heart completely or he would go mad..

Better that he leave now and never return. Maybe by distancing himself from Kaede's village the pain would subside and he could live again..

He brushed soil of the village off the soles of his feet and bounded west to a new life.


	3. Don't Look Back

A/N I do not own or profit from Don't Look Back which is owned by the parties who hold rights to it. Lyrics are in Italcx

_Don't look back_

_A new day is breakin'_

_It's been too long since I felt this way_

_I don't mind where I get taken_

_The road is callin'_

_Today is the day_

It had felt so good to be on the road. The road that would take him away from the memories of Kagome. He had not felt this good in a long time. The long runs took his mind away from hisanger and grief and allowed to concentrate on the feeling of the wind blowing his hair and exhiliration of his leaps into the clouds. It had been so long, so long

_I__ can see_

_It took so long to realize_

_I'm much too strong_

_Not to compromise_

_Now I see what I am is holding me down_

_I'll turn it around_

There was nothing to be done about Kagome. He would have to move on to a new place, a new purpose and a new dream. Before Kikyo and the Jewel he had no dreams, no hopes only day to day survival. He could not return to those days. Musashi had been his childhood home. His move to his forest had been based on the attraction of jewel. It was only Kikyou and Kagome who brought him back in contact with humanity for the first time in one hundred forty years. Each contact had been ended in tragedy. First, the Hojo had tried to kill him after the death of his mother. Then Kikyo had killed him and died herself. In his latest contact, Kikyo had died yetagain. Kagome who had promised to stay by his side forever had run off with his brotherHe would be very cautious about exposing his heart in the future..

_I__ finally see the dawn arrivin'_

_I see beyond the road I'm drivin'_

_Far away and left behind_

He only had a vague idea of where he was going and what he would do when he got there. Still the road ahead must be better than what he had left behind He had already left Musashi and gone through Kai since he had left Kaede's village. Some of his old instincts were beginning to return. He traveled only at night and found trees to hide in during the day. Human habitations, their roads and fields were things to be avoided. Running into the ever present samurai could only bring trouble.

_I__t's a new horizon and I'm awakin' now_

_Oh I see myself in a brand new way_

_The sun is shinin'_

_the clouds are breakin'_

_'Cause I can't lose now, there's no game to play_

When he finally reached the foothills of Mount Fuji, he stopped to assess the direction his life would take. What skills did he have? He had always been good at killing things. In this era there seemed plenty of opportunities in that area. Over the last year his ability to kill had increased exponentially with the addition of Tetsusaiga to his armory. He knew that he could not use his beloved sword against humans, but he had killed many humans who attacked before Kikyo and Kagome had forbidden him to do. But where could he go to apply the skills which he had developed. He would have to find a warlord who was willing to accept the assistance of a hanyou. He had never paid any attention to human rulers. They all seemed alike to him. All ready to kill hanyous. Something Kagome had told him at the start of the quest came to mind when they had assisted that Takeda warrior from Kai in assisting the princess. Kagome had gushed over him when she thought the samurai was Odo Nobunaga. The warrior had dismissed Kagome's comment and called the man the Great Idiot. Kagome had seemed so sure. She seemed to know something about the future. Despite what happened between them Inuyasha still trusted her judgment.

_I can tell_

_There's no more time left to criticize_

_I've seen what I could not recognize_

_Everything in my life was leading me on_

_but I can be strong_

When night came he set off again. He would find this Nobunaga. He had heard that the daimyo had a castle in Nagoya which was located in Owari. There was nothing left on the road for him on the road he had just traveled His future was only a few days ahead of him. He would have to trust that he had role to play when he arrived.

_I finally see the dawn arrivin'_

_I see beyond the road I'm drivin'_

_Far away and left behind_

He finally arrived in Owari province. As the sun rose he could see huge dust clouds ahead of him forming a line of march towards the south.. Far ahead he could see the banners of Odo Nobunga fluttering in the breeze over an abandoned Buddhist temple. The daimyo was outnumbered at least 10 to 1 by the approaching troops . A evil grin spread across Inuyasha's face. If he could help the warlord escape disaster here maybe there would a place for him beside the Great Idiot.

He lept forward and touched sky , he was on his way to a New Life.


	4. Into the Valley of Death

A_/N The following story is about the Battle of Okehazama which took place in 1560 between the forces of Imagawa Yoshimoto and Oda Nobunaga. According to the Oda clan chronicler, Nobunga yelled the following after hearing what his advisers had to say _

_"Imagawa has 40,000 men marching toward this place? I don't believe that. He 'only' has 25,000 soldiers. Yes, that is still too many. So, Sado, you want me to surrender. What if we do surrender? Will you get content with losing your life that way? Or what if we hold on like Katsuie wants me to? What if we stay here in this castle, lock it up, and wait until the Imagawas lose appetite and stop the siege and go home? We will be able to prolong our lives for 5 or 10 days, and what we cannot defend will still be undefendable. We are at the bottom of the pit, you know. And our fate is interesting. Of course the misery is too great, too. But this is how I see it: this is a chance in a lifetime. I can't afford to miss this. Do you really want to spend your entire lives praying for longevity? We were born in order to die! Whoever is with me, come to the battlefield tomorrow morning. Whoever is not, just stay wherever you are and watch me win it!" (I found this quote in the Wikipedia article on Odo Nobunaga)  
_

Dark clouds began to form over the wooded gorge known as Dengaku-hazama, near a little village named Okehazama Inuyasha almost laughed as he looked at the two opposing camps.

At first glance there appeared to be troops in the Buddhist temple over which Nobunaga 's banners flew. However, it was evident to Inuyasha's sensitive nose that there were a small number of troops in small fort. It must be a ruse.

One the other side were a large number of troops with the leaders tents backed against the gorge.The troops opposing Nobunaga were ten times his strength. But except for a small number of pickets the troops were dispersed. There were bonfires, singing and carousing. Heads of the slain from the border forts decorated the camp of Yoshimoto. It was clear he saw Nobunaga as nothreat at all. The assault on the temple would began tomorrow. Today he would celebrate hisvictory..

Inuyasha smirked as he saw the plan unfold. Before his revival he would have never have seen anything. Now he could clearly see the plan of Nobunaga. He was planning to hit the leaders tent with his whole army from the north.

This plan was just the wedge for which Inuyasha had been hoping. He could create the confusion and distraction that Nobunaga would require to succeed.

The rain had begun. It was a wild driving rain. The hanyou decided on a frontal assault. It was this approach which would bring him the greatest attention and divert the greatest number of troops. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and prepared to attack.

Just as lightning struck near the camp illuminating the darkened sky, Inuyasha screamed his war cry "Kaze no Kizu" and raced towards the waiting pickets. Five furrows of fire stretched out in front of him in an inferno of destruction.

The Windscar overwhelmed the front ranks and allowed Inuyasha to charge forward unscathed. into the camps of partying troops. The kenetsu of his sword through back samurai who began to rally in the camps.

In the rain and lightning with his sword flashing the hanyou appeared to be a true monster. The drunken troops were in no condition to face a demon. They scattered like chaff before the wind. Inuyasha seeing his advantage pursued the fleeing troops through camp after camp. After the initial windscar it was no longer necessary to use any o f swords greater attacks.

The energy that the blade put off was enough to overwhelm mere humans.

Terror spread through the ranks. The samurai ran for their lives. As they fled Inuyasha headed towards the tents of Yoshimoto. He was prize that Inuyasha needed to bring to Nobunaga to prove his worth.

As front line troops poured into the gorge to escape the hanyou, the elite troops formed a defense line to defend their lord. These samurai would not be frightened by the sight of a demon.

Just as the defense line stiffened Nobunaga's troops slammed into the camp from the north side.

It came as a complete surprise to the defenders. The line crumbled and even the best of the samurai ran for their lives.

Yoshimoto looked around at his fleeing troops. How could this have happened? Just this morning. he had felt assured that his troops would be in Kyoto within a week. Now he have to run for his life.

Inuyasha saw the fleeing commander. He must not be allowed to escape. With a great leap he was in front of Yoshimoto swinging his sword. The leader and his horse crumpled to the ground.

Inuyasha held his sword to the leaders throat. What should he do? Until today he had not taken a human life while he was in his hanyou form since he had met Kikyou.

The man in front of him prepared to commit seppaku. This was the out that Inuyasha needed. As Yoshimoto started to cut his stomach with his knife, Inuyasha severed the head of the would be kingmaker.

Inuyasha raised the head to eye level only to find himself face to face with the gread man himself, Odo Nobunaga.

.


	5. Martial Preparations

Nobunaga stared at the man with dog ears in red clothing. Who was this man? What had he done in the battle? Why was he holding Yoshimoto's head?

His first thought was to have him killed. Nobunaga always wanted to be in control of the situation. This half man- half dog was the one thing about the battle that he had not anticipated.

His silence was broken by the voice of the man bowing before him. "Sire, my name is Inuyasha, son of the late Inu-no-taisho. I have come to offer you my service. Here is the head of your enemy. I offer it to you. I am yours to command."

Nobunaga responded by having some of warriors go forward to remove the body and bring the head now covered in rags to him. As he stared at Yoshimoto, he realized how quickly powercould slip through ones hands Just this morning this man was poised to enter Kyoto and name the next shogun. Now he was worm food.. It made him realize the need for caution in his dealings.

It had been his boldness that had won this day. He had been outnumbered ten to one. It had been his opponent that relaxed his guard and allowed him to attack the command from behind. He must never allow himself to become complacent.

So he stared at the young hanyou before him. Finally, he spoke, " Go with these men. They willoutfit you and see what skills you have. Remember if you have nothing to offer me, I will kill you, demon."

Inuyasha accepted the harsh words with a grace to which he was not accustomed. It had been a long time since he had been in human society. The words did bring back memories of his days at his uncles palace. He knew that acceptance among humans would not be easy.

As soon as Inuyasha left the grumbling among Nobunaga's advisors began. None of them had any love for demons. Most demons were loyal only to themselves. It was their lust for power and greed that drove them. They were not be trusted."

Perhaps the most blunt statement came from his oldest and most trusted advisor. " Never! No-one will serve a man who has sold his soul to the demons!". Nobunaga knew that this would be the biggest problem facing him. His troops would not support him if they knew that there was a demon among them. The other daiymo would use demon assistance against him. Already the Buddhist monks had begun to side against him. He did not need the Shinto priests who were so violently anti-demon to turn against him.

If the demon had skill and would assist Nobunaga then his identity would have to be hidden from all but the most loyal who would not speak of it to anyone. He must find out more about the hanyou in order to determine his intentions. He must know that the demon could be relied upon to carry out his will and if he was not he would be forced to comply.

Inuyasha was led to the small fort of Marune at the edge of Owari province. Here laborers were busy clearing the which Yoshimoto had wrought. Inuyasha was instructed to assist the workers. For Inuyasha the work was tedious though not difficult. He was hoping for some training. All of his fighting over the Jewel had been strictly slash and burn. The others could not take the punishment that youkai could dish out like he could. Accordingly, he had simply charged headlong into whatever danger presented itself and hoped for the best. Sesshoumaru had always mocked him for this approach, but it had served him well. His body could take punishment that no human and most youkai could survive. The time had come for a change in tactics. If he was to fight with the samurai, he must fight like one.

Nobunaga returned to his chambers at Kiyosu castle to worship at his private shine. He had many things on his mind. The Kami had given him a great victory. His advisors had told him not to fight Shibata Katsuie had urged him not to fight. Hayashi Sado no Kami Hidesad had told him to surrender These people were poison to him. They represented past alliances and past treachery. He would find warriors like the hanyou and his sandal bearer who would fight for him when the odds were against him. He had offered them nothing more than a glorious death.

Samurai who would follow you into the valley of death were worthy soldiers indeed. Their company must be treasured.He convened his council. Those advisors who had advised him not to fight were summarily dismissed. He would brook no more interference with his plans. The sandal bearer was summoned to him. He was given the task of rebuilding Kiyosu Castle.

The hanyou would need to be handled carefully. No doubt he could kill them all if provoked. He needed to be trained in the art of war.so that he could be more than simply charge blindly into the middle of the battle. In addition, he wondered how the inclusion of a hanyou in his force would affect his samurai and the nobility on whom his route to greatness relied. The identity of the hanyou must remain a carefully guarded secret.

A scroll was passed to him. It contained a message from Matsudaira Motoyasu congratulating Nobunaga on his victory and inviting him to began talks about an alliance between the Oda clanand the Matsudaira clan now that the Imagawa clan no longer held sway over them. Nobunaga knew of this young man. He was a brilliant warrior. Perhaps while he was present for the alliance negotiations he could be used to assist with the training of the hanyou.

He dispatched a messenger to Matsudaira Motoyasu to ask him to come to Kiyosu Castle to open negotiations for an alliance. That being done he asked the remaining advisors if they knew any method of controlling the hanyou. It was decided to seek an answer from persons with great spiritual power.He must be the one in control. Let it never be said that he had sold his demons.


	6. Release the Dogs of War

Matsudaira Motoyasu looked at the tall man with white hair dressed in samurai armor. It wasamazin what he had done with this young man in the last year. A year ago the young man hadbeen barely literate. Despite his powerful sword, he seemed to nothing about the proper useof arms It had been difficult to find a horse willing to carry him, but he had finally taught him enough to ride a horse in an emergency.Not that the hanyou needed a horse. He could outrun most of them. Motoyasu could not imagine him leading a charge with his katana drawn, but no one should be able to disarm the hanyou at will as he had been able to do early in the training.His time at Kiyosu would soon be coming to an end. The secret negotiations between the Oda clan and the . Matsudaira clan.had been completed. The long enmity was at an end. They were committed to help each other against common enemies.

The two clans prepared for war. All that they needed was an opportunity. Motoyasu sought out Inuyasha before. he left. He had grown close to the young hanyou in his time at Kiysou." Good luck, Inuyasha." he said. "Remember that you are living among humans who hate youNever forget that fact. Nobunaga is only using you. The moment that you become a liablity to him he will turn on you." Inuyasha hugged Motoyasu. The young ruler had turned the rugged hanyou into a warrior over the last year. He was now able to behave as a true samurai. His mother had wanted him to serveas a samurai in his uncle's army. He wondered if she would proud of what he had become.

A little over a year after the battle of Okehazama the opportunity that Nobunaga had been waiting for occurred. The daiymo of Mino had died leaving a weak heir. Nobunaga weakened the Saito heir further by having Toyotomi Hideyoshi convince the the Saito retainers that their new master was just a weak boy. He needed a demonstration to cement the impression.

He selected a small fort just inside Mino. Here he would reveal his secret weapon for all to see. The hanyou was brought before him. The beast was now properly attired in samurai garb.The fort was lightly defended. and crudely. He could easily overwhelm it, but since he knew the Saito retainers would be watching he would release the beast.He gave the signal to Hideyoshi who was standing next to Inuyasha. The hanyou screamed out his battle cry. The five furrows of fire hit the gate with full force. In an instant it was nothing, butsmoke and ruin. The defenders staggered out from beneath the rubble only to met by the forceswhich Nobunaga had brought with him. The struggle lasted but minutes.

All were shocked. The power of the hanyou was tremendous. It caused many to reevaluate theirpositions. Hideyoshi had thought to use his abilities to ingratiate himself with Nobunaga. Hewould have to speed up his work on bribing the Saito retainers and generals or his work would unnecessary and unappreciated The Saito retainers and spies who were present were intimidated. They realize that that could be their castle lying in ruins and their heads on pikes outside their castle walls. There would be a rush to submit to Nobunaga, noone wanted to be the last one to bow to the suddenly great lord. Nobunaga was pleased beyond all of his expectations. He had figured on the Mino campagn to defeat Saito Tatsuoki, might take six years. Now he realized that he did not need the support of the Saito retainers or generals. He could proceed directly to attack Inabayama Castle and replace the Saito in Mino. He would send Hideyoshi to build a fort at Sunomata which was on Mount Inaba opposite Inabayma and found out if there was any secret ways into the castle.

Inuyasha seemed very bored with all of the attention. He had spent a year training to be a samurai and the battle was over in one Kaze no Kizu. It all seemed too easy Now he realized why Sesshoumaru had never had any regard for the humans who attacked him. They must seem like bugs to him. Simply pests to be squashed. He had been somewhat worried that Tetsusaiga would react badly since he was directly attacking humans and not defending them. Nothing had happened. Still it had been some time since he had that feeling of oneness that he used to have. He missed it.

The news traveled fast throughout Mino. Retainers began sending secret correspondence to Hideyoshi. No one challenged Hideyoshi when he began rebuilding the castle at Sunomata even though it was on the same mountain as Inabayma. Tatsuouki felt totally isolated. He had no allies. His retainers were deserting to Nobunaga The news had also reached Matsudaira Motoyasu as he stood at last as the master of fortress of Kaminojo..He knew that seizing this castle would force the Imagawa clan to release his wife and son. His clan had been split between the support of the Imagawa and Oda. It was because of the hostage situation that he had been forced to seize the Oda border forts on behalf of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Something had told him to withhold his support from the Imagawa lord at Okehazama. He had been right. As soon as the battle had been over he had opened the negotiations with Nobunaga.

The news that had surprised him was the description of the warrior who had destroyed the fort with a demon sword. It could only be Inuyasha. He had trained Inuyasha to be a samurai.How did he possess a demon sword? How had he become so powerful? He was one of the few persons who knew that Inuyasha was a hanyou, but in all the time they had trained he had never shown any of his demon power

He had achieved one goal. His wife and child would be returned to him. Now that he had turned on Imagawa his secret alliance with Nobunaga would be revealed. It appeared that Nobunaga would conquering Mino sooner than he expected. He would have to take the initiative and take control of his clan. No longer would it be divided. They would follow him just as Nobunaga had done in taking control of the Oda clan.

The negotiations with Nobunaga had made him look beyond his lands, beyond his clan. Japan was a big country just waiting to be conquered. He wanted to be right along side Nobunaga when he conquered Japan. He was not going to be left out of this great adventure.

The conquest of Inabayama came almost as an afterthought in 1562. It had required merely one Kaze no Kizu to break down the gate. By that time Hideyoshi had already invaded the castle through a secret passage into the castle supplied by Saito generals. Nobunaga strolled into the castle with the hanyou by his side. Hideyoshi had found Tatsuouki cowering in his room. The man was not even worth killing and he did not deserve the honor of seppaku. They would exile him. If he ever came back they would kill him. After his cowardice no Saito retainer would ever rally to his banner. He was glad that the hanyou had not destroyed the castle. It was a fine castle on top of a mountain. He would rename it Gifu after the castle name of Wu Chang, the conqueror of China.

His move into Mino had brought his alliance with Matsudaira Motoyasu into the open and forced the head of the Takeda clan and rule of Kai and Shinano to ally with him. His ambitions were expanding to reach all of Japan. He could dare to dream of a nation under one sword.

The most surprised person had to be a small human girl living in fortress on the isle of Kyushu.

She could not believe what she read in scroll that the messenger just delivered to her.. "What is going on? Nobunaga is not supposed to take Inabayama until 1567." Just then she felt another contraction and forgot all about the scroll. "Sesshoumaru," she screamed. " I think it is time."


	7. Delusions of Grandeur

Nobunaga dreamed of Imperial Japan. He had visited Kyoto 1559. At the time he was nothing but Oda clan leader. He was awed by the trappings of power. The Emperor was here. The shogun was here. Weak as they were they emanated power which was lacking in clan squabbles which dominated central. Japan.

He had spent the last four years taking over three provinces to the south and east. His hanyou would intimidate the locals with a demonstration. His troops would march into the ruined castles. Many simply gave way since they could see the writing on the wall. A daiymo who had powerful one day found himself a weak and sniveling coward. They were allowed exile. The roads became crowded with the refugees from the terror of Nobunaga.

He even found time to help his ally Matsudaira Motoyasu. This adventurous fellow was following the lead of Nobunaga. After he unifying his clan, he move to drive the Imagawa out of Mikawa. Since Nobunaga was not using Inuyasha at the moment. , he asked for the use of Inuyasha. The hanyou was more than happy to assist. Gifu was very boring. With no campaigning to do there was nothing to do and nobody to kill Inuyasha felt like his talents were being wasted.

With Inuyasha the Mikawa border castles were captured in no time at all. There was no one who could counter the hanyou. Castles were simply no defense against the Windscar. Soon the castles were all in Matsudaira Motoyasu's hands. He was able to make his retainers happy by turning the castles over to them.

The only significant opposition came from the warrior monks known as monto. Both sides had firearms for this encounter. Inuyasha actually was able to fight in this encounter. Mostly he used Tetsusaiga to block the bullets from hitting his friend. He was very grateful for Inuyasha's presence. In the battle Inuyasha had probably saved his friend's life on numerous occasions. The future emperor would always remember him fondly for this service.

With Mikawa completely conquered , his ambitions expanded. The emperor gave him a new name in 1566 which reflected his new ambitions, Tokugawa Ieyasu History would know him by this name as the first shogun to rule all of Japan..

Nobunaga's break came in 1565 when Ashikaga Yoshiteru, the 13th Ashikaga shogun, was forced to commit suicide when attacked in his palace by troops sent by Miyoshi Yoshitsugu and Matsunaga Hisahide. His brother, Ashikaga Yoshiaki left his life as Buddhist monk to try to get revenge against the new shogun, Ashikaga Yoshihide.

There were plenty of lords eager to take advantage of this opportunity to gain power over the shogunate. Among them were the Takeda clan and Asakura clan. After currying favor with both of these clan, it was Nobunaga to whom the former monk eventually turned. He was impressed with the way that Nobunaga had fought his way from controlling only a small castle in Owari to taking over provinces many times larger than the size of his original province. Little did the shogun know that Nobunaga had secret weapon. Only the inner circle knew the identify of the hanyou. .

When the former monk showed up in Gifu to curry the favor of Nobunaga, Nobunaga could hardly belief his luck. He knew that the monk thought he control Nobunaga. Little did he know what the future would bring.

Nobunaga accepted the offer to make Ashikaga Yoshiaki the shogun without hesitation. He began planning the campaign immediately. It helped that he had a presence in Omi province which was between his lands and Kyoto due to the marriage of his sister to the daiymo of Omi province.

To reach Kyoto he had pass through the lands of the Rokkaku clan. He gave them an ultimatum of recognizing the new shogun or else. They preferred the else. It was a terrible mistakes. With Inuyasha leading the way, the castles were destroyed and the way to Kyoto was open. By this time Tokugawa troops had joined with the Oda in the drive to the capital. When Nobunaga reached the capitol in November 1568 he drove out the Myoshi clan out of the city. The Myoshi continued with their attacks around the city until they were crushed by a lieutenant of Nobunaga's.

He could now install his own puppet shogun. Nobunaga refused the position of Kanrei which was subordinate to the shogun and began issuing orders to restrict the shogun's power. The former monk was resistant to this role and began scheming to free himself from Nobunaga almost as soon as he was installed. He began sending out feelers to Takeda Shingen, Mori Motonari, and the Azai and Ashakura clans. By 1570 he had assembled a coalition alliance of Asai, Asakura, Rokkaku, and Enryakuji monks,

.The stage was now set for another war. The combined Oda and Tokugawa forces began to attack into Omi province, but due to betrayal by Nobunaga's own brother-in-law, the Oda forces had to withdraw. By July Oda's forces were back assaulting a major castle of the Azai in Omi province.

Oda was presented with an opportunity to destroy a major element against him. He occupied the Azai while the Tokugawa pushed back the Ashakura. until they had flanked the Azai. The anti-Oda coalition was forced to retreat into Odami castle.

Ieyasu stood with his friend Inuyasha. He had been waiting for this moment. If they allowed the coalition troops to withdraw within the castle they did not have the forces for a successful siege. But Oda was allowing him to use Inuyasha to assault the castle walls. The Windscar slammed into Odami castle. A breach was opened. A retreat became a rout. Troops that should have held back Nobunaga for two more years would soon be dead.

A messenger arrived at the castle in Kyushu. The Lady of the castle leisurely read the scroll as she watched her son play in the courtyard. She hurriedly ran to her room. What was going on this castle should not have been taken for two years. Someone was changing history. As she read the scroll closer she noticed that a strange warrior had breached the wall with an attack from a demon sword which caused five furrows of fire. What in the world was Inuyasha fighting for Nobunaga and how could they stop him? They needed to contact Miroku, He was in the area. Perhaps he could do something to stop Inuyasha.


	8. The Road to Hell

Nobunaga had no mercy for those who dared to oppose him. The Shogun, his brother-in-law,Asai, Asakura, Rokkaku, and Enryakuji monks would all suffer for combining against him. Hehad already moved against the Azai and Asakura., Now it was the turn of the monks who lived on Mt. Hiei.

Miroku stared at the scroll which Kagome had sent to him. He was not sure what he was supposed to do about Inuyasha. It was not his problem what happened in the world of Sengoku Jidai. His purpose on Mt. Hiei was to learn from the teachings of the Tendai sect. To a monk from a temple like Mushin's it was awe inspriing to see the nearly 3000 temples .that dotted the mountains. The disputes between the mountain order and the temple order did not interest. He was somewhat disturbed by the presence of the large number of warrior monks on the mountain who were used to carry out the political purposes of the sects leaders. The quest for the jewel had required violence. Naraku had not gone down without a fight. Miroku did not think that a follower of the Buddha should be concerned about political ambition. What higher purpose did it serve if ambitious daiymo controlled the shogun. He had seen enough lords during the quest to know that not one of them was worth a drop of his blood.

Inuyasha wondered why they were going to a Buddhist monastery. Even he had heard of the place. The sohei were people to be admired. They were people like Miroku who fought for that which they believed. He knew that Nobunaga viewed these people as enemies and as such they were persons to be destroyed.. The fact that the monastery occupied the hillside overlooking Kyoto, the capitol and Nobunaga's new power base. Nobunaga had his position to replace the shogun. He did not anyone else repeating his success. Still, he wondered what his role would be The temples were not fortified. There were unfortified villages around the base. In the eleven years that he had been with Nobunaga he had never actually used the samurai skills which Tokugawa had taught him. He had been used as a battering ram, a siege engine. Tetsusaiga would knock down the castle wall and the real samurai would do the rest. Frankly, he was bored. He had done more fighting in one week than he had in eleven years with Nobunaga. Still, it was doing something. He still did have any clue what he should be doing with his life. Kagome had been right that Nobunaga was a great man. It would be an honor to be with him when he unified Japan.

Nobunaga had a plan for dealing with the monks. He would kill everyone and burn everything.It was time for an exercise in power. Mt. Hiei was close enough to Kyoto so that shogun would realize that this would happen to him if he continued. to resist. The monastery was close enough to the Asai, Asakura, and Rokkaku clans to show them what would happen to them when he was done with the monks. He was not sure why he had brought Inuyasha. Maybe he could knock down a temple or two.

As Miroku wandered through the rows of temples, he saw dust clouds rising from Kyoto. He wondered what it could be. Many of the daiymo quartered troops there to prevent dominance ofone warlord over the other when dealing with shogun. Somewhere he had heard that Nobunaga was dominating the shogun. It did not matter to him. He was here to meditate and learn what the Tendai could teach while he searched for Inuyasha. Sango was not pleased with his trip. She was left to raise their children alone while he went on a road trip. He was not sure why Kagome wanted to find Inuyasha, None of them had seen him in eleven years. The last night they had all been together was night of the Victory Party after they had defeated Naraku and destroyed the jewel. The last time he had seen Inuyasha he was holding Tetsusaiga after he had destroyed half

of Kaede's village with the Windscar. At least he had warned them so that could remove the people before destroyed their houses. Things had changed so much. Kaede was dead. Sesshoumaru and Kagome were the Lord and Lady of the West on Kyushu with a ten year old son. He and Sango had four children now. Sango had put her down about having any more children. She no longer seemed eager to have ten or twenty children. Rebuilding the taijiya village had been hard work. He found that he had few useful skills. Many of his talents lay in wooing ladies and relieving lords of their funds for his own benefit. They had little help Shippo had tried to help, but Inuyasha would have been much more useful. Their growing family required funds for supplies which could not be grow (Miroku had never realized that growing crops was so much work.) Kagome had asked him to find Inuyasha. She did not say why. For some reason she seemed to think that Inuyasha would be in the company of Nobunaga. She did not say why. Inuyasha had always avoided contact with humans. He had only trusted the group of friends who had killed Naraku. After what had happened with Kagome and Kaede's village he had understood that Inuyasha would probably find too painful to see them again. Surely, he was not working for a ruthless warlord like Nobunaga. Nobunaga had a terrible reputation among the Buddhist monks. Many of the warrior monks were at war with Nobunaga.

The center of rebellion was located on Mt. Hiei. Yet of late the Great Idiot had given no warning to the monks, He had made no threats of which Mirkou had been told. The troops finally reached the base of the mountain. There was nothing here but villages with peasants, women and children. No warriors here. Yet Nobunaga's troops began to systematically burn the villages at the base of the mountain. Panic spread as news of the impending massacre spread. The arquebussiers and mounted samurai were instructed to climb the mountain and search the temples for any sohei who might be threre. They were never given any instructions about identifying these persons. Basically, they began shooting at any person that moved.

Inuyasha could not believe what he saw. He had never signed up for the slaughter of innocent woman and children. He bounded over the warriors. Somehow , he would try to warn the monks of the impending disaster. When he reached the top of mountain he tried to spread the word. Unfortunately, since he appeared as one of Nobunaga's samurai many of the sohei on the mountain opened fire at him. Still he proceeded onward. Finally he reached the Enryakuji temple at the mountain peak. As he opened the door to temple he found a monk meditating in front of a statute of Buddha.

He yelled " Get off the mountain or Nobunaga will kill you."

Miroku turned around. He could not believe that he had found Inuyasha " Inuyasha, what are you doing here."

Inuyasha's mouth gaped open and he stared at the monk. It had been eleven years since they had parted on less than favorable terms.

Finally the monk began laughing at the dazed hanyou.

Inuyasha broke from his stupor.. "What are you doing here,bouzo. You need to get out now. Nobunaga is burning all of the villages at the base of the mountain. He has his arquebussiers and searching the mountain for the sohei. They intend to kill everyone and burn everything"

Miroku stared at this news.. Then he responded " Inuyasha, Kagome asked me to give you a message. She wanted you to get away from Nobunaga. You are changing her history."

Inuyasha started laughing " And why should I care about that lying, cheating bitch wants."

Miroku knew that Kagome had hurt Inuyasha by mating Sesshoumaru. It was only now that he could hear the extent of the hurt in his voice.

" She is woman you used to love."

" Used to love, Miroku, she betrayed me with that bastard brother of mine. I will never forgive her and never forget what she did. If she was in front of me right now she would be dead. You can give her that message."

As they were speaking, Nobunaga's troops burst into the temple. They did not aim at Inuyasha, but the monk was fair game. They prepared to fire. Inuyasha was not prepared to allow them to kill Miroku. He could not reach Miroku to shove him out of the way so he did the only thing that he could think of at the time. He jumped into front of guns. The blast hit him.full force. There were gaping holes in his armor and his stomach. He was clearly in shock. They fired again. He collapsed in a bloody heap. They rushed forward to seize the monk. He must be important if Nobunaga's warrior was trying to protect him. Inuyasha was left to bleed to death. They decided that they would say that sohei had killed him.

No sooner had they closed the door to the temple when the entire temple exploded. Emerging from roof of the temple was a demon from hell. The samurai gaped at him. They had never seen anything like this demon. It had red eyes with huge fangs and enormous claws. It swept through the samurai and arquebussers and killed anything in its path.

Miroku had not seen Inuyasha like this for years. He thought Inuyasha had overcome the transformation. Perhaps he had too close to death to resist the change. Inuyasha looked the part of a true demon from hell in the firelight of the burning temples. Nobunaga's men had burned everything on the mountain and killed all of sohei, monks and priests. They were the only targets remaining.

Miroku contemplated allowing Inuyasha to proceed to kill Nobunaga's soldier. But if he did so Inuyasha would escape into the world outside. If he remained in this form too long he would lose his human heart. Miroku was not prepared to allow that to happen. How would he explain that to Kagome. Inuyasha was still his friend, despite all that he had done.

And so Miroku threw one of his most effective offuda at Inuyasha. Inuyasha screamed in pain as the purifying energy hit him. He fell to the ground. His features began to become human and he lapsed into unconsciousness. Miroku moved to place wards around him to restrain him.

At just that moment the Great Idiot himself reached the top of the mountain and found himself face to face with a dark haired man in a red robe similar to the one Inuyasha wore and a monk placing wards around him.

"Take them both into custody. We will find out what happened here."

Miroku sighed he must surrender and take his chances.


	9. The Education of a Monk

Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers-from "Locksley Hall" by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Inuyasha and the monk were summarily dumped inside the dungeon of the kuge of the Oda clan in Kyoto. The house was a fortress bristling with cannon and arquebussiers in the towersof the building. The decrees of the Emperor would have suggested that no weapons were allowedwithin the walls of the Imperial Capitol. This peace was an illusion honored only by the scholars who believed such things. As practical matter all 130 families dojo kuge were bristling with armament. One had to be close to the shogun to hold power By Imperial Decree none of thewarlords were allowed to the control the Imperial City itself. All of the families were allowed to have their house within the city.

The battle for control of Japan was being fought street by street in Kyoto. The only persons who did not have an army were the shogun and the Emperor. The Emperor was mostly a symbolic leader. No one cared about him. Power did not flow from him

Power had once flowed from the shogun. This position had been held by the Ashikaga family since 1336. Oda Nobunaga found his opportunity when Ashikaga Yoshiaki had approached him among others to support his bid for the shogunate. Nobunaga 's campaign was swift and effective. Yoshiaki was made the 15th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate.

Nobunaga had no intention of allowing the shogun to be anything but his puppet. He may have driven the former shogun from power, but the puppeteers of the previous shogun stood around the edges waiting for their opportunities.

When Nobunaga tried to pull the strings of the new shogun he organized a anti-Nobunaga coalition. Nobunaga had defeated the Azai-Ashkura alliance at the Battle of Anegawa and destroyed the temples at Mt. Hiei. Yoshiaki now extended his hand to the Takeda and the Ikko resistance.

Nobunaga knew that it was not safe for him to Kyoto He also knew that no matter how much of Japan he held unless he had a dominating presence in the city his power would dissipate.So he endured the street fighting with foes that he had long ago vanquished in the countryside. It was into this environment that he returned after the total destruction of the temples at Mt.Hiei.

He had sent the lesson. Buddhist temples were not sacrosanct when fortified against his powerand actively resisting his rule. He hoped that Ishiyama Hongan-ji in Osaka would acknowledge him. Instead, it was still supporting the shogun's anti-nobunaga coalition. If the coalition would not pay attention they would have to pay.

Inuyasha was the problem. He still had not awoken since the monk had purified him at Mt.Hiei . He still had yet to question the monk to determine who was and what had occurred These questions were what kept the monk alive when all of his comrades on Mt.Hiei were dead.

He sent Tokugawa to check on Inuyasha and Hideyoshi to question the monk. His best weapon in the fight against the coalition lay inert in the dungeon. He must know how this had happened, who this monk was and how to keep it from happening again.

Tokugawa really needed to get to his own lands. The Takeda and the Hojo were marching on his castles and at this point in time Nobunaga had sent only 3000 troops. All he could do was sit in his castles and try to ride out the siege. He did not have time to play nursemaid to Nobunaga. It was good to see his friend, Inuyasha again, but not under these circumstances. What could have happened to him.

Inuyasha lay in a heap on the floor. He had been shackled because of the reports that he had killed numerous Oda retainers who had been fighting on mountain top. Tokugawa could not believe what he saw. Inuyasha was a hanyou. Tokugawa was one of the few who knew this fact.Yet the person before him was as human as he was. He had been stripped down to only his fundioshi. Tokugawa had been through shodu himself felt some attraction to the young man wholay before him. Inuyasha was totally human with midnight black hair and violet eyes. The monk must have slapped some sort of offuda which had purified him. They needed it off as soon aspossible. Tokugawa would like to take Inuyashsa with him, but he knew that he would never get the approval of Nobunaga. He sighed. There was nothing that he could do for Inuyasha. Perhaps they could do something with the monk.

When Tokugawa arrived Hideyoshi was already interrogating the monk. The former sandal bearer was less than pleased with what he heard.

" Monk, what were you doing on Mt.Hiei?"

" I was learning to appreciate the greatness of the Buddha."

" You know that we kill monks who fight against us. Were you fighting against us?"

" I fight only against evil."

" And is Nobunaga evil?"

" I leave good and evil in the Buddha's hands."

At this point Hideyoshi was ready to be done with the monk and have him executed. Tokugawa stayed his hand.

" Monk, I am a friend of Inuyasha. The only friend he has had since he showed up here eleven years ago. I have reports that you are also a friend of Inuyasha. I need to know what is wrong with him. You did something to him. I want to know what you did and how it can be reversed. I tired of your delay. Because of what you did, my friend is lying in a dungeon in a coma. I want to know how to reverse why you did and bring him back to the way he was."

The monk stared at him for a long time. Who was this imposing man? How could he say that he knew Inuyasha. He had not been through hell and back with Inuayasha to kill Naraku.How dare he say these things to him? He had saved Nobunaga and every one of his soldiers by slapping the offuda on Inuyasha. It's effect had been surprising to say the least. He had found the found the offuda among the texts that he was researching on the mountain and had simply copied it without being aware of what it might do. Obviously, the offuda was intended for demon purification. Fortunately for Inuyasha since he was a hanyou, purification left him human rather than pink dust.

" I would never hurt Inuyasha. He and I spent one year together fighting a monster who threatened to destroy Japan. In the end he rescued the woman who destroyed Naraku and the Shikon no Tama only to have her run off the next day with his brother."

Ieyasu was stunned by this news. All of Japan knew this story. Could these two really be part of the group who had defeated the evil hanyou who had wrought such destruction on Japan. It had occurred shortly before he had met Inuyasha. He had only been seventeen when he fought Nobunaga on behalf of the Imagawa. He had only done so because they were holding his wife and child hostage .It was a good that he had made the decision not to fight against Nobunaga at Battle of Okehazama. and stayed at the Oda border forts that he had captured.

"What kind of man was Inuyasha", Tokugawa finally asked.

" He had a terrible temper, but he was very shy about Lady Kagome. In the end his shyness may have done him in. He was planning to ask Kagome to be his mate after the victory celebration, but Sesshoumaru mated her first. Inuyasha left after destroying the village we were staying in and I had not seen him until he opened the temple door on Mt. Hiei. He was a man devoted to duty. If you were his friend he would fight to the death. If you were his enemy you could expect no mercy. He was betrayed by the only two women that he loved. Two of our group betrayed him after they joined with us. Two of us tried to steal the jewel when we met him and two of us tried to kill him."

"So you know the Lord and Lady of the West. I would not say that very loud Nobunaga is notfond of that youkai. He is thwarting his plans to expand into Kyushu."

" I will keep that in mind." replied Miroku

" Now to the reason you are still alive. What did you do to Inuyasha and can you undo whatever you did."

Miroku stared at the lord for a minute and finally replied " I believe that I remove the offuda which I placed on Inuyasha. I found it among the writings which I found in the temple on Mt.Hiei. I placed it there because when Inuyasha is close to death and does not have Tetsusaiga in his hands his youkai blood takes over to ensure his survival. While in demon form he does not recognize friend or foe and simply lives for the joy or fighting and killing. If he is in this form too much it will destroy his human heart. The demon will not stop fighting until every living thing is dead. Lady Kagome used to be able to get him to respond. During the fight with Naraku Tetsusaiga was able to preserve his mind while Lady Kagome was able to call him back with the scent of her blood and the sound of her voice. He changed into his demon form because Nobunaga's arquebussers shot at me and he stepped in front of the blast to save me. His sword was knocked out of his hand and his wounds were life threatening. His demon blood had to save him. Once it did however every living soul including Nobunaga and myself were in great danger. Inuyasha in the youkai form would not hesitate to kill all of us. I was surprised when the offuda stopped him and turned him human. If he had been fully youkai he would have been purified. Since he is a hanyou, it merely purified the demon in him and left the human form.

Tokugawa digested this information. Inuyasha was obviously a dangerous individual in the demon form. This would have to be conveyed to Nobunaga. He would make the decision as to what to do about Inuyasha.

"We are back where we started. Can you remove the offuda? Do you know what will happen if you do so?"

Miroku wished that he was not still the novice monk that he was. He had never had much more than the training which Mushin had given to him as a substitute son after his father had died. Sango hated that spent so much time visiting monasteries and temples instead of helping raise their children and providing for his family, but this was his method of educating himself. He needed to read the knowledge which was locked in the holy books in the temples. It was that reason that he had gone to Mt.Hiei. In retrospect, if he had known that Nobunaga would attack he would never have gone., but hindsight was always perfect.

"Well" repeated Tokugawa

" I guess I could try. I was desperate when I applied the offuda. I did not know that it would have this effect."

Ieyasu wondered what he should do. Should he risk the survival of Nobunaga's secret weapon on the guesses of this novice monk. Finally, he decided to let the monk remove the offuda and see what happened.

"Go ahead and remove the offuda. and we will go from there."

Miroku began to take off the offuda while Tokugawa readied his katana in case Inuyasha were to revert to his demon form. There was a flash. Slowly, Inuyasha began to awaken from his slumber. He gazed at his surroundings through blurry eyes. Where was he? The last he remembered he was trying to save Miroku on Mt.Hiei from Nobunaga's arquebussers. Nobunaga certainly was not going to like that he had saved the monk. Slowly, the two persons came into focus. It was Miroku and Ieyasu. But of course this only led to more questions.

Miroku decided to start the conversation " Inuyasha , you are in Kyoto in the kube dojo of the Oda clan do your remember what happened to you?

Inuyasha stared at the monk for a minute and replied " I was trying to save your sorry ass because you were on Mt.Hiei when you should not have been. How did I get here and what are you doing here"

Miroku began to explain. "You saved me from the guns, but the wounds caused your demon blood to take over. I slapped an offuda on you that I found in the temple. You collapsed and turned human.. You have been human and unconscious for over a week. Nobunaga captured me and brought us to Kyoto under cover of darkness. I do not think that he wants his enemies to know what you or that you were injured. You have been unconscious for over a week. They shackled you because of what you did to Nobunaga's troops. I would do the same thing if I were in their position. When I took the offuda off, you recovered. However, you are still human. I do not know if this condition is permanent or something is repressing your youkai. As your friend here keeps pointing out. I am not to do anything which might bring harm to you since you seem to be some kind of weapon for Nobunaga. I would like to research this matter further, but I do not know if I will get the opportunity."

Inuyasha listened to Miroku but could hardly believe him. Could he really be human? Would he stay this way forever.? He gazed at the black hair that fell over his fire rat robe. Damn he had always hated being human. Of what value was he to Nobunaga now. He hated being weak.

Tokugawa decided to report back to Nobunaga and tell him what had happened. He would leave the monk here with Inuyasha. The monk could do no further harm to Inuyasha and presumably had no desire to do so. He would lock them in and post a guard. His findings must be reported to Nobunaga and then he must be on his way. If only he could take Inuyasha. He would have to hold out against the Hojo and the Takeda until either Inuyasha or Nobunaga could help him.

" Goodbye Inuyasha I must leave now. I hope that your friend will see that Nobunaga does not take advantage of you."

With that Tokugawa hugged Inuyasha. Inuyasha could feel the depth of feeling that his friend had for him. Hopefully, they would see other in the not so distant future.

After Tokugawa left Miroku turned to Inuyasha.and began to ask him what he had been doing for the past 11 years. Inuyasha began relating the story of how he had met Nobunaga and what he had been doing for eleven year. When he finished Miroku was thoughtful. Did Inuyasha realize how much he was being used by this human lord? Miroku was aware that those he was wary he normally did not impute evil intentions to humans. Inuyasha had told himthat Kagome thought that Nobunaga was great and that he would unify Japan. Even though Inuyasha felt betrayed by Kagome he still put great stock in her opinions. Inuyasha had told him that Kagome used to carry around a book which described the great deeds done by Nobunaga. It was clear that Inuyasha was basing to determination to trust Nobunaga based on the hero worship of a fifteen year old girl with a knowledge of the future. Miroku would not have trusted her judgment based upon his own experience with people and what had happened to him at Mt.Hiei. Nobunaga might very well be the unifier of Japan, but he was going to use the bodies as stepping stones to reach that goal. He was not sure that he approved of Inuyasha being the tool which caused so much suffering. It was clear that Inuyasha did not see himself as more of a monster than the hundreds of warlords who engaging in battles. Even the Buddhist religious sects reflected the times by fortifying their temples and sending out their monks to do battle as warriors. Although he had fought against Naraku, he did not feel that violence for the sake of achieving power could be justified to the Buddha

When Inuyasha had finished he asked Miroku what had happened to he and Sango. Miroku began to relate that he and Sango married and returned to the slayers village .with Kohaku and Shippou.. They had begun to repair the damage done to the village. Over the years Miroku and Sango had four children. Sango was upset that he had left shortly after the birth of their most recent addition. They had let it be known that they were interested in teaching the art of demon slaying. This news had brought new people into the fort to be trained. Hopefully, they would be able to repopulate the village. At least that was Sango's hope. Miroku would leave every few years for more training. Sango would be very upset but she would always accept him back. Every time he returned they would have a new child. Miroku loved the homecomngs and hated the accusations upon his departure.

Tokugawa reported. back to Nobunaga. It appeared that something was going to have to be done about Inuyasha. It appeared that his youkai was not returning.even though the offuda had been removed. Tokugawa dreaded what Nobunaga might do. Nobunaga was desperate for power and might do anything to achieve it including manipulating Inuyasha to make his youkai reassert itself. He told Nobunaga what the monk had related about the blood being sealed by the sword.

The sword had been recovered . Nobunaga held it across his lap. The sword would have to be returned to Inuyasha, but it must be returned in such a manner that Nobunaga maintained control over Inuyasha. Before leaving Tokugawa told Nobunaga about the story the monk had told of Inuyasha's history. Nobunaga listened closely. Maybe there was something he could in the story of the Shikon no Tama which could help him here. The fact that the monk and Inuyasha had traveled with such a dangerous enemy as Sesshoumaru lent itself to further study.

After Tokugawa left, Nobunaga summoned his scribe. Maybe he had a use for the monk after all. He would use him to send a message to the tai-youkai. The monk was of no further use. Nobunaga did not want him tampering with Inuyasha. What to do with him was a matter of great delicacy. He would only proceed after he had consulted with someone who might be able to restore Inuyasha's youkai. War was brewing. Nobunaga needed Inuyasha's power in the front line.of his forces. But he needed him under his control. He would give it further thought.

The monk was finally summoned before the great man. Nobunaga indicated that the monk was pardoned for his crimes, but he was free to go so long as delivered Nobunaga's message to the tai-youkai. Miroku was relieved. He had expected to be killed as soon as Inuyashsa revived. The mission would given the opportunity to visit Lady Kagome for the first time in eleven years. It would also allow him to avoid his familial duties for a greater length of time. It would only make the homecoming with Sango even more pleasant.

The monk began to think about what he learned as he exited the Kyoto's southern gate and began the long trek towards Kyushu. His purpose in going to Mt. Hiei had been to acquire wisdom What he had learned at temple there had caused him no amount of grief. Perhaps in the future it would be wise to stay out of the reach of the powerful who had neither the knowledge or the wisdom to deal with the war that they had loosed upon Japan.


	10. The Shurangama Mantra

The summons from Nobunaga came as a total surprise to Yengnnan. He knew that the Great Idiot was in Kyoto but he did not know for what reason. Many Buddhists had a great deal of hostility towards Nobunaga, most notably the Ikki-Ikku. Yengnnan did not feel that animositiy.

He grieved for the thousands who were killed on Mount Hiei, but he did not condemn Nobunaga for his actions. In life sometimes terrible things happened to people. One did not hate another for doing these things. Life would go on or not.

As a Zen Master he did not require the actual politcial power that sohei and the Ikki-Ikku wanted. His life was comprised of learning the teachings of the Buddha and taking care of his administrative duties. He was happy discussing the teachings of the Buddha with the faithful or with the Christian missionaries. It did not matter to him which particular shogun was in power or which daiymo controlled him They were all irrelevant to his life's work of serving the Buddha.

Living in Kyoto Yengnnan understood political power. He knew the shogun personally. Recently, he had introduced a Spanish priest whom he had befriended to the shogun. Today he was receiving a summons from the who currently held the power of the shogun even as the shogun stretched out his hands to Nobunaga's enemies to take back that power.

He hurried up the steps of the kuge dojo o f the Oda clan in Kyoto. The guards viewed the summons from Nobunaga. They decided it was genuine and passed the eminent monk from the Zen temple of Kennan-ji through the doors for his audience with Oda Nobunaga.

The monk found the great man sitting in his council chamber. He presented his summons to an aide and took his seat on the floor before the great man. He knew that he was not allowed raise his eyes to look at the daiymo unless he gave you permission. What could Nobunaga want of him? He was not a warrior. The political connections he had to the shogun would not put him in good graces with the Oda clan. His temple was not a violent one. They did not have the power of many of the Buddhist Temples. Their area of concentration was the repeating of the mantras of the Buddha. It was said that if there no one left who knew the Shurangama Mantra that the demons would be released to ravage the world.

At last the great man motioned for his aides to bring the monk to him. The monk was hoisted to his feet and brought to Nobunaga's side. At length Nobunga spoke " I have a problem . One of m yweapons is broken. It used to be a hanyou. Now due to an offuda which is still attached to it, it is human and unconcious. I need you to release it from the offuda, restore the demon to it and allow me to control it so that it does not go on a rampage again as it did at Mt.Hiei.

Yengnnan stared at Nobunaga. The first part of the request would require undoing whatever offuda had been placed on the hanyou. Once it was removed the hanyou should be restored and awaken. They must place him inside a pentacle before they remove the spell in case there were any adverse effects.. At last he said to Nobunaga

"Can I see the demon.?"

Nobunaga nodded and led him into an underground chamber which was obviously a dungeon. A locked door was opened by the guard. There in one corner of the chamber was a very thin albino boy with long black hair. He had a red robe and hakama. The smell coming from him was overpowering. Yengnnan and the guards had to cover their noses. Yengnnan walked over to the hanyou.

The offuda which had been slapped on him in the heat of battle was clearly visible. He called for some paper and ink to trace the offuda. This project would require some study.The offuda he was told had been copies out of book kept by Tendai monks on Mt.Hiei. Releasing it should not require too much difficulty. He must be careful. The a hanyou was Nobunaga'a pride and joy he could not afford to any mistakes.

He would have delve deeply into his temples store of Mantra to find just the mantra and sutra which would open the correct Dharma doors. It would require further study. Yengnnan took his leave and returned to his temple. He promised to return within a week. To meet such a promise he would have to use all the manpower and resources of his temple. He would have to get right to work.

Nobunaga was left dissatisfied. Would the monk meet his deadline? There was enemies on his borders and enemies even within Kyoto. The sooner his weapon was returned to full power the better.

He reread the scroll from Tokugawa. The Takeda and Hojo threatened to take everything from his ally. Until Inuyasha recovered he could spare only a few thousand troops. He should have killed the monk who did this to Inuyasha instead of sending him on a fools errand to Sesshoumaru. Oh well, too late now. He would have trust in the abilitiy of monk to heal Inuyasha and the ability of Tokugawa to hold out in his castles against the Takeda and Hojo until help could arrive.did this to Inuyasha instead of sending him on a mission to Kyushu.

A week later the monk returned together several other monks of his temple. They had many ornate scrolls and sutras. They were ushered into the dungeon where Nobunaga and Inuyasha

were waiting for them. Inuyasha was place in the center of the penticle. Yengnnan began to chant. As he chanted he began to remove the sutra on Inuyasha. The other monks were also chanting mantras to protect themselves against demons.

As the sutra was removed there was a flash and the sound of thunder. Inuyasha slowly began to awaken and return to his hanyou form. He tried to move outside the penticle and found that he could not.. He gazed among Nobunaga. What were they doing? Why was Nobunaga using monks to imprison him.?

"What the fuck is going on?"

"Silence, hanyou, you turned into a monster. These monks just revived you. You were out of control and killed some of my men. We are going make sure that you never lose control of yourself again."

Inuyasha was dumbfounded. He did not remember losing control of himself. But then he did not remember being unconcious for a week.. He was not sure how to react. Certainly, he did not want to lose control to his demon. He had been devastated by the results in the past. If Nobunaga thought that the monks could control the reappearance of the monster that he sometimes became he had no choice but to accede to the request. He had not desire to kill humans.

Seeing that the first phase of control had been successful, he decided to proceed to the second stage. He began to chant the Shurangama Mantra while his monks chanted the Shurangams Sutra

Though he was familiar with the Mantra, having recited it many times, he had never recited for the purpose of summoning and controlling demons. However, this is only mantra he had which answered the request of Nobunaga to control the demon.

Nobunaga was already impatient. He had his hanyou back. Now the monks needed to give him a control mechanism over the hanyou. Time was of the essence here.

The chanting increased. in volume. Inuyasha was surrounded by swirling lines of energy. Above it all was a crown which was dispelling the darkness. Light began to pour from Yengnnan ashe chanted the mantra.

The three lights universally illumine, permeating the three forces.

In all this world of Jambudvipa you may not come upon it.

Only those with great virtue and great goodness will attain it.

Those lacking virtue and goodness just won't understand it.

The three lights were being emitted by mouth, the body and the mind of the monk representing heaven, earth and the people. These lights were a pure white. As Inuyasha stared at the lights there was suddenly a swirling red light.

A thousand petaled red lotus supports one's body.

As one sits firmly mounted on a black unicorn.

Seeing this, the hordes of monsters go far away to hide.

Dharma Master Ji, the Venerable,

mastered these wonderful sounds.

It seemed to Inuyasha that the red lights had been transformed into a thousand red lotuses which now supported the monk. The monk now appeared to Inuyasha to be riding a black unicorn. The monk now recited the lines which protected the Triple Jewel and caused demons to flee.

take refuge with all the Buddhas, all the Bodhisattvas,

all the Hearers and Condition-Enlightened Ones,

and all the gods throughout empty space and the Dharma Realm.

Inuyasha felt the urge to flee but being trapped by the penticle, he could not do so. The mantra was said to each of the ten Buddhas from the ten directions to defend against the five demons armies.

Unendingly miraculous and mysterious,

it's extremely hard to fathom.

This vajra secret language wells forth from your own nature.

Inside the Shurangama Mantra is marvelous magic!

Then come five eyes and six penetrations and the Way opens up.

Having trapped Inuyasha within the five divisions of the Mantra.,Yengnnan prepared the the Hooking and Summoning Dharma. Inuyasha slowly began to change. His eyes turned a bright red with blue pupils. His fangs grew so long that they overlapped his mouth. His claws nearly doubled in size.

Nobunaga was shaking with fear. He had wanted to control the demon. Instead the monk had summoned the demon. It looked like it might escape and kill them all.

Yengnnan had anticipated this eventuality. He knew that the only way to control the demon was to summon it and then subjugate it. The monk began to chant the Dharma of Subduing. Inuyasha howled in pain. He railed against the barrier which the monk had established. Finally, the monk completed his chanting. All of the Dharma-doors had now been opened. Balance had been achieved.

" Demon, behold your master. It is he that released it is he controls the reins over you. From now on you shall obey his commands. Your freedom is gone. His enemies are your enemies. His will is your will. Your strength, your heart and soul belongs to him."

Nobunaga was not sure what to do at this point. To his surprise the demon began to speak to him

"I was banished the day I was born. The sword that the hanyou carries controls me. I am not allowed to see the light of day. This cruel banishment was my own father's doing. I was only released when the sword was broken. You may control me., but you have given me a freedom that I could never hope to attain. By summoning me , you have banished the hanyou and the human deep within the sword. I will never allow to return. This is my time. I am grateful to you, master. I am yours to command. All I ask for is blood. This is my payment. So long you keep me sated with the blood of your enemies you have nothing to worry about from me."

Nobunaga realized that the creature in front of him was very different from the independent soul of Inuyasha. This beast could be both a blessing and a curse. It would kill without mercy. He must make sure that it killed only those persons that Nobunaga desired to kill.

The monk waited. He was not sure what to make of the demon standing before him . The demon was certainly subjugated, but it would test the reins which Nobunaga kept on it. The monk approached Nobunaga.

"Lord , am I finished here?"

Nobunaga stared at him " I think that you should remain and make sure that your creature remains under my control. If that control should ever fail the first person to die would be you.

The monk quivered in fear. He had not anticipated this happening to him. The demon chuckled.

"Well,monk, it appears that we are all trapped together. Have no fear I will make your death a quick and painful one."

The monk fainted and the demon laughed

Nobunaga wondered what he had gotten himself into.

At last Miroku arrived at the Western Shiro on Kyushu. He was ushered before Sesshoumaru and handed him the scroll. Before opening the scroll, the Lord of the West questioned the former monk at length. When he was finished. Miroku waited. He was curious as to what was in the scroll. Instead, he was summariliy dismissed by Sesshoumaru. Miroku went to seek out Kagome whom he had not seen since Naraku had defeated eleven years ago. The two of them had a lot of reminiscing to do.

Sesshoumaru unrolled the scroll and stared at it for some time. The contents were troubling. He had long tried to avoid human entanglements. Nobunaga and his gaijin allies had made his life difficult. Now here was his first message from a person who saw himself as the Lord of Japan.

This Sesshoumaru would have to go to Gifu and see what was happening.Then he would knowhow to deal with the '"Great Idiot" and his baka little brother. No challenge could ever go unanswered.


	11. Monster

By the spring of 3rd year of Genki Oda Nobunaga was becoming restless. The monk had delivered to him a new weapon, potentially much more powerful than the old hanyou. What heneeded was a target.to test his newest toy. The Ikko Ikki occupied a fortress known as Nagashima on Pacific Coast in the province of Ise. Several of Nobunaga's generals had embarassed him by failing miserably the year before. They had retreated in disgrace This time he would not fail. He would send Hideyoshi and 80,000 troops four times the number he had brought the prior year. Hideyoshi would occupy the monks while he loosed Inuyasha on them.

By the time the army assembled it was summer. The plan was for Hideyoshi to attack from the west as a diversion. The main presence was to be the arquebussers. Nobunaga had trained his gunners to fire by rank so that there was continuous fire which would not allow charges while they were reloading. Nobunaga hoped to use the gunners to cover his charge. Inuyasha was to attack the Mori ships which were assisting the Ikko Ikki in breaking the current siege.Plans never go the way you expect them. Hideyoshi only made slight progress against one ofthe supporting castles before he was thrown back. The arquebussers could not support the charge of Nobunaga, because of a rainstorm. Only Inuyasha was making progress. The wooden ships fell to the wind, waves and fire created by the Wind Scar. The monster gazed at his hands.

The sword was trying to resist him. His hands were now blackened. He was still able to force the sword to stay in its demonic form, but only by using his own youki to control its actions. His actions so far were unsatisfying to him. There was no thrill in destroying ships. The little wooden things could not satisfy him. Only the blood of the souls who dwelt behind those walls could satisfy him. The main fortress had been stripped on most of its defenders who were drawn outside to counterattack against the forces of Nobunaga and Hideyoshi. The ships which he had been asked to destroy were either sunk or driven away. Nobunaga's fleet was already bombarding the fortress. No one would notice if he breached the walls. Once inside he could hunt the humans whose blood he so desparately craved.

He turned to his master. " Master, allow to enter the city. I can drive out the humans and quench my thirst."

Although Nobunaga was reluctant to allow the demon so much freedom of attack so far from his control. At this point his only options were to withdraw or to allow Inuyasha to carry out his plan. Nobunaga nodded. He would send the demon in together the monk to prevent the Ikko Ikki from slapping any purifying sutras on him. The demon readied his weapon. He would have to breach the wall with this assault. Soon his hands would not the job of ripping and rending for which his claws were intended..

With a shout of Windscar the assault began. A breach was created in the wall. The monk clambered on the back of the demon. Inuyasha sheathed his sword and leapt into the breach. The breach was filled with smoke, burning wood, crumbled earthworks and dead bodies. As Inuyasha entered the fortress he could hear the sounds of arquebuss fire whizzing around him.The smell of the blood was intoxicating to him. Everyone he met was sliced to bits.

Nobunaga had not thought to hide his face on this occassion. The fierce red eyes with blue centers shown brightly through the smoke. The soldiers had only time to yell "Youkai" before the claws distintingrated their bodies. He wanted the blood, he wanted the fear. He aimed for the place that would turn the panic into a rout. The houses of the monks were straight ahead. The women and children and old men were blissfully unaware that death was stalking. them. The houses disappeared in a shower of kenatsu emenating from Inuyasha himself leaving the occupants to his mercy. The panic began. They ran for the gates. Inuyasha hunted them like beasts that they were He would only stop occasionally to lick the blood from his claws.

The warriors joined the panicked woman and children as they raced through the street ahead of enraged youkai. At last they came to the gate. They milled around wildebeest at the rivers edge. The gate would not open. The panic became worse. People were literally throwing themselves against the gate to try to open it. Inuyasha smiled. Perhaps he should be merciful even it would be painful to him. He unsheathed the sword . It screamed at him at burned his hand. They were now pitch black. It tried to draw his youki from him, but he willed it to action. The Scar of Wind hit the Gate and shattered it into a million pieces. Inuyasha dropped the red hot sword andl eapt to drink the blood of the fallen. The firing stopped all over the battle field.

The monks stopped and gazed at the demon standing in the gateway drinking the life blood of their wives and children. Panic began to set in all along the Ikki Ikko line. The line which had held out against overwhelming odds now cracked. Fires began to break out .Now that the rain had stopped the burning spread quickly to all of structures within the adjoining fortressess. To those of Nobunaga and Hideyoshi's troops who dared gaze upon Inuyasha he truly appeared to be a monster sprung from hell itself. By the end of the battle none of the 20,000 men, women and children who had lived in Nagashima were alive. Many of Nobunaga and Hideyoshi's men were shaken by what they had seen. Rumors began to spread again that Nobunaga was truly the " Demon King". Only one who consorted with Demons could control so hideous and so grotesque a monster. Despite the victory morale was low. Nobunaga decided that he had no choice to withdraw his army from the field. He would have to wait until next campaign season to continue his conquests.

Sesshoumaru gazed down at the scene below. The monster drinking the blood of fallen in the gateway had the appearance of his little brother. The blood definitely had changed. It was similar to the time when the sword had broken and Inuyasha's youkai had be released. The aura was different somehow. More like the way Inuyasha had behaved when he was inside the jewel. He had actually given Sesshoumaru a real challenge. Sesshoumaru had resisted using Bakusaiga at that time and Kagome had Tetsusaiga in her possession. This beast was clearly having difficulties dealing with Tetsusaiga. Sesshoumaru could smell the burned flesh from here. He had never before seen Inuyasha's youkai drink blood. It fascinated him. He could not imaginewhat value it could have to the being. There was no pleasure in killing inferior beings. One simply did so because they were in the way of where one wanted to go and did not stand aside when requested to do so. The beast appeared to be with Nobunaga's forces. At least that portion of Nobunaga's letter to him had been accurate. Was he under Nobunaga 's control? That was question that bore further scrutiny. He needed to know exactly what kind of threat Nobunaga and Inuyasha posed to him before he could act against them. At the moment the gaijin and the Otomo clan were giving him fits in Kyushu. He did not to create another enemy. If Nobunaga was still occupied killing warrior monks he was not ready to threaten Sesshoumaru. It would give Sesshoumaru time to decide how to proceed against them.

Nobunaga returned to Kyoto accompanied by Hideyoshi, Inuyasha and Yengnnan. The monk looked like his face was frozen with fear. They were going have to take some time off before they continued this battle. Inuyasha would have to be disguised again. Even though he had a terrifying effect on humans because of his appearance, the effect on Nobunaga's own troops was almost as bad.

Kagome stared again at the scroll with news from Kyoto. Again events were not occurring the according to the dates in her history book. The final defeat of the Asai and Asakura clans occurred in 1570 after the Battle of Anegawa. For some reason Odani Castle was taken in that year and not as 1573 as her book claimed. Now Nobunaga had taken Nagashima in 1572 not 1574. Someone or something was assisting Nobunaga in winning victories that he would eventually earn much earlier than he had done in her own time line. There was no telling what would happen if this alteration of the time line continued. Perhaps she would cease to exist. Not a prospect to which she found attractive. If she disappeared her children would also cease to exist. She would have to talk to Sesshoumaru about doing something about Nobunaga. No telling what would happen to Japan if he was allowed to continue to alter her time line.

The Shogun stared at the map. The Rokkaku were gone. The Asai and Asakura were destroyed The Ikki Ikko whom he reached out to were now thrown back to their primary fortress of Ishiyama Hongan-ji. There was only one power who could assist him in his fight against Oda Nobunaga, Takeda Shingen. The Shogun would offer him the position presently held by Nobunaga. He knew that power motivated the Takeda as well as every other daiymo. Surely, he would succeed where the others had failed. The sooner the Takeda were brought in to oppose Nobunaga the better. Messengers were immediately dispatched to deal with the Takeda.

Takeda Shingen was elated when he received the offer from the Shogun. The Shogun was offering him the power that he had always wanted. Soon he would be in Kyoto directing the affairs of Japan with the Shogun and the Emperor. All he had to do was defeat Oda Nobunaga and his ally Tokugawa. Preparations for a winter campaign against Togukawa would began immediately. With any luck he would be in Kyoto by the end of the summer campaign season.

For Inuyasha this down time was ridiculous. Nobunaga would not let him kill anyone, not even the stupid little priest who had bound him in the first place. Where was the killing? Where was the death? Where was the blood he had been promised? He had done what Nobunaga had wanted. Nobunaga would have lost at Nagashima without his help. Instead of following up on that victory with more death and destruction, Nobunaga crawled back into his hole in Kyoto. Inuyasha was frustrated. He grated against his bonds. If Nobunaga would not give him blood he wanted to be free to kill whom he wanted when he wanted even if the first victim was Nobunaga. When he had stood at the gate of Nagashima he had sensed a presence that he had not sensed for thirteen years. Sesshoumaru. The delicious thought of disenboweling him and drinking his blood from a cup made from his head was almost erotic.

Tokugawa Ieyasu had come to Kyoto after finding that Nobunaga was not at Gifu. He had learned of the alliance of the Shogun with the Takeda against Nobunaga. The Takeda were assembling troops on his border. He was the one whoto face the wrath of Takeda first. The man who was considered the latest "greatest general of the age.".

The mood at Oda kuge was somber. One would think that Nobunaga had lost at Nagashima. This was not lost on Tokugawa . He would have to learn the source of the gloom. He was ushered into council chamber of Nobunaga. There were the generals, a monk, an armored soldier Hideyoshi and Nobunaga. Where was Inuyasha? Tokuagawa could surely use his friends help now. Finally, Nobunaga looked up at him

"How can I help you Ieyasu?

" The Takeda have allied themselves with the Shogun. They have already marched into my territory and are moving to invest Iwamura Castle in Mino. I need more than the 3,000 troops that you have already sent. The Takeda are planning a winter campaign. I need Inuyasha now."

Nobunaga summoned Tokugawa to his side. " I think that we need to discuss Inuyasha privately." He motioned for Hideyoshi.and Tokugawa to follow into his private chamber. When he thought they were alone he began to explain about Inuyasha. After he described thetransformation of Inuyasha and his behavior at Nagashima, he paused.

Tokugawa was in shock.His friend, Inuyasha was gone. In his place was a monster who obeyed only the voice of Nobunaga. He had come seeking help against the Takeda. The question was whether using Inuyasha against the Takeda would a blessing or a curse. He had no doubt. that he would win if he used Inuyasha. The question was could he control Inuyasha without Nobunaga being present. Nobunaga could not leave the capital until the situation with the shogun was successfully resolved in his favor. Tokugawa decided to take his chances with the troops that he had. He wasnot about to abuse his friends trust by using him against his will. Nobunaga suggested that Tokugawa retreat immediately to his castles until Nobunaga could join him in the spring.

After a long conference about this strategy, Tokugawa agreed to try to hold out until Nobunaga could come in the spring. As Tokuagawa rode away he wondered if he would ever see his friend again. All that was leftof him was a monster whom the he did not know or trust. Better to rely on his own men than to depend on a demon who was exchanging his service for blood. Tokugawa wondered if Nobunaga would survive his bargain with Inuyasha.


	12. Demon in the Snow

Oda Nobunaga awoke with alarm. His entire body was shaking with fear. Sweat was pouring from his body. The dreams had started occurring once Tokugawa left Kyoto. It was always the same dream. Instead of staying inside his castles like they had agreed, Tokugawa would rush after the retreating Takeda. The Takeda would turn and charge the center where the Oda arquebusiers were located. The snow was howling. The gunners could not see the oncoming cavalrymen and were overcome. His dream always ended the same way Tokugawa face downin the snow at the gate of Hamamatstu Castle. His head decorated the pole from where the clan banner of the Takeda flew. Was this an omen? Were the kami telling him that Tokugawa would die and the Takeda would be victorious? He must go consult the fortune tellers before the small relief force left to assist Tokugawa.

Takeda Shingen was pleased. Everything was in order for his next victory. This winter campaign should be very easy. No one campaigned in winter. He had already responded to the shogun's appeal to assist him and join the coalition against Nobunaga. He was not headed to Kyoto though or even Gifu. He would cut off Nobunaga's right arm, Tokuagawa. Destroying this small daiymo seemed simple enough. His spies reported that Nobunaga had made no move yet to reinforce his ally. Soon the roads would be impassable. It would be just Tokugawa and himself. Tokugawa was not worthy of the one on one combat like Kenshin. His head would soon atop his own flagpole when the Takeda took Hamamastu. Castle.

The situation was becoming critical for Tokuagawa. The Takeda had entered Mikawa and were taking castle after castle. After his defeat he had appealed to his ally Oda Nobunaga. The response had been less than overwhelming. Nobunaga would not risk leaving Kyoto so long as the shogun presented a threat. His men were becoming restless. They were bound by honor to fight. It was a travesty that they had to sit in their castles while the Takeda marched in and took Mikawa.

A spy approached the Oda kuge in Kyoto. In his hand was a letter sent by Takeda Shingen to the Shogun. Oda Nobunaga surely would pay dearly for such a letter. At last he gained admittance to the counsel chamber. A junior staff member greeted him. He knew this man. Some of daiymo would kill a spy even after they gained information from him.

"What do you want?

"Sire, I bring news of a Takeda alliance with the shogun."

"This is old news. We are already aware that the Takeda are allied with the remaining Asai and Askura."

"Sire, do you have the evidence that the Shogun appealed to the Takeda and Takeda Shingen responded to such an appeal? This evidence is what you need to move against the Shogun."

"How did you obtain such letters.? The Shogun must have them hidden away."

"A spy never reveals his sources. One might say that these letters are a gift of the Kami to Oda Nobunaga."

The counselor examined the face of the spy and offered a purse to the spy. The spy carefully counted out the coins in the purse.

"I think that this information is worth twice as much as you are offering."

"You are lucky that Nobunaga himself is not here. He hates spies. He would take your information and then have you killed."

The spy carefully weighed these words. Perhaps it was better to take what he could get and live to fight another day. He threw the letters at the counselor, picked up the scroll and left. The counselor examined the scrolls. The seals of the shogun and Takeda Shingen were genuine. These two were open and blatant in their plot against his lord. The lord must see these scrolls immediately.

Nobunaga gazed at the fortune teller. He was not sure that he believed any of the palm reading, the astrological readings based on his birth date or the mikos who claimed to speak for the kami while they were in trances. His preference was for actual knowledge based on his own observations. One thing that he had learned from dealing with the gajin was that not everything that the came from the mouth a spiritual man was true. He had to kill so many monks who had taken up arms against himself and every other daiymo. Blood would continue to flow until every one of Ikko Ikki were dead. Since when did followers of Buddha need castles , arquebussess and cannon. He had always that the Buddhists were concerned about the afterlife. Maybe they were trying to create hell here on earth so everyone would wish for the hereafter. His fortune was cast at last. The Shogun would fall. The Takeda would fall. It all depended on the card that represented Tokuagawa. He looked to the fortuneteller.

"What should I do?"

"In order to achieve the result set forth in the cards, you must loose the demon."

With a flourish the fortune teller laid the card representing the demon on top of the card representing Takeda.

" If he is not loosed, this one(indicating the card that represented Tokugawa) will die and your fortune will be reversed. You will fall with Tokugawa."

Just then the junior counselor rushed into the room. Nobunaga was greatly disturbed.

"Couldn't you wait.until I was done with this session"

"Sire, I bring news of treachery between the Takeda and the Shogun."

Nobunga had everyone ushered out of the chamber.

"Show me the proof."

The counselor handed Nobunaga the scrolls. Nobunaga read quickly. They were open and blatant. He had to act soon. The cards said that Tokugawa must be saved. His dream said that Tokugawa would die if he did not come. He could had not time to assemble an army. He must travel with a small retinue under cover of darkness. No one must know that he had left Kyoto. If they did , the shogun and his allies would attack in capitol. There would street fighting like there had been when he had driven out the Miyoshi. They would leave tonight. With any luck they would be at Hammanastu before it fell.

All of the battles with Uesugi Kenshin were not wasted on Takeda Shingen. He knew the formations. He knew the strategies. No one could outsmart him. Tokugawa would be drawn out of his fortifications and destroyed. His advance scouts had spotted Tokugawa at Saigake cliff. .That army consisted of 8,000 troops. It was reported that there were another 3000 of Nobunaga's troops in support at Hammanastu which were on the move to assist Tokugawa. He had over 33,000 troops of which 25,000 were horsemen. The old tricks were always thebest. Even the best samurai would break formation if they were provoked. Takeda set his men in the gyorin formation and prepared to attack the Tokugawa who aligned in a line formation for the arquebusiers. Takeda knew that Tokugawa was relying on his firepower to save the day. He did not realize that Takeda had armed his own cavalry with pikes. The gunners would never know what hit them.

After an initial assault along at the Tokugawa line, the Takeda appeared to be withdrawing using peasant stone throwers for cover. Finally, the Tokugawa samurai started to pursue the retreating Takeda. At this point the Takeda cavalry turned and charged the Tokugawa line. The gunners could no longer see their targets. They were in blizzard conditions. The combination of wind from the north, a snow storm and darkness of that late February afternoon made resistance with the arquebussess impossible. Many of them of them broke and ran back towards Saigake.where resistance began to stiffen. Here Tokugawa had O-kubo Tadayo plant his golden fan standard as a rallying point. Tokugawa wanted to go back and save his generals who were trapped by the first assault. Natsume Yoshinobu convinced him to retreat. As Tokugawa left the scene, Yoshinobu himself futily threw himself against the oncoming Takeda horde. The Takeda assembled for a second charge. It would surely break the back of the Tokugawa. The gunners could still not see the oncoming cavalry charge.

A stir was heard in the Tokugawa ranks. Something was happening. The ranks parted. A dark flame appeared on the cliff. It was too late to stop the charge. From the cliff poured five furrows of dark fire. accompanied by huge gusts of wind. which blew the snow storm back into the faces of the oncoming riders. Both sides were stunned. There in the light of the flames and sword light stood a demon laughing manically. The snow swirled all around him. It was like a dark evil flame had suddenly burst forth in the snow storm. Panic began to set in and all sides. The Oda and Tokugawa raced back to the safety of Hammamatsu Castle Anywhere to get away from the Takeda, the snow and the demon. The Takeda horses panicked. Many of them threw their riders and raced off in all different directions. The remainder of the horsemen steadied their mounts and retreated to the main body of the Takeda forces.

The demon watched in amusement as the humans and their animals scattered before him like the wind. When he was finally alone, he started to feed on the bodies of the fallen. His master had not properly fed him for a year. He would make up for lost time. When he was finally sated he walked back towards the castle where he knew that his master was waiting.

Those who had observed the demon were appalled with his behavior. The Takeda withdrew in fear to their camp. The vanguard had observed the open gate at Hammamastu and assumed that the Tokugawa was using the empty fort ruse and that the demon would be waiting for them when they entered the castle.

Nobunaga was pleased. His demon had performed admirably. Tokugawa had been saved. The Takeda had been thrown back. There remained one task to perform before he could return to Kyoto. He needed to decimate the Takeda so that they would simply return to attack Tokugawa after he went home. Inuyasha met him outside the gate in the snow.

"Demon, I have one last task for you to perform before you return home. I want you to attack the Takeda camp tonight under cover of darkness. Create as many casualties as you can without risk to yourself or the persons who will guide you to the camp. After that you can feed and kill at will, but return to me before morning so that we can be on the road back to Kyoto."

"I hear and obey, master"

Tokugawa furnished him with several scouts who pinpointed the location of Takeda camp.Later, that night the five furrow of death hit the center of their camp. The retreat of the Takeda now became a rout. Inuyasha stood wishing he could kill all of the retreating warrior and their horses, but he had his orders and a late night snack was waiting for him. The accompanying soldiers were appalled as the demon consumed both man and beast. It would haunt their dreams for the rest of their lives. When they reported back what they had seen to Tokugawa he knew that he had been correct to refuse the assistance of a demon. His friend was now totally consumed by some unholy being and Nobunaga was his master. He must never cross Nobunaga or he would Inuyasha's next meal.

Nobunaga was estatic. When he returned to Kyoto, he assembled his army to march against the Shogun. While he was preparing he learned that the happy news that Takeda Shingen had died of illness during his retreat to Kai. The Shogun would be the next to fall. Nobunaga would drive him out of Kyoto destroy all his remaining allies and then force him to give up his power as Shogun.

For the first time in years. Nobunaga could smile. The enemies that surrounded him were broken and would soon be sent to the dustbin of history. The only thing that bothered him was what would happen if ever ran out of enemies to feed to his demon. It always cried for blood. Would it someday cry for his blood.

Higurashi Kagome, Lady of the West scanned the news that the scrolls brought her. Events were progressing the way her books told her that they should. One report in particular bothered her. She knew from her book that Takeda Shingen had won the Battle of Mikatagahara against Tokugawa who had survived with only five men making it back to the fort. It had only been the confusion and the fear of the "empty fort" trick that had stopped Takeda from killing Tokugawa. Yet here in front of her was a report of a demon who had suddenly appeared and stopped the Takeda charge and later destroyed the Takeda camp. Before she had come to the Sengoku Jidai she would have dismissed it as myth. Now as mate of a demon lord, she could only wonder who the demon was and why he was interefering with her history book.


	13. Preserving Our Future

Sesshoumaru noticed that the shoji door was open .Light was streaming out of the room He entered to extinguish the lamps. Kagome was asleep lying on pillows piled up on her tatami mats within the room. He smiled. She looked so lovely in the flickering light of the lamps. He was lucky to have her as his mate and the mother of their pups. He reached down to smooth her hair with his claws. As he was reaching to touch her , he noticed a sheaf of papers bound together at the back which had fallen out of her hand. It was open and the papers were covering her face. As he reached down to lift the book off her face. As he held the thick volume in his hands he stared at the title " History of the Sengoku Ji-dai." This mystery was worth further investigation.

Amaterasu was furious. Unauthorized dreams were being sent. Events were being changed. Shehad the book of life in front of her. The text was changing even as she read the latest entries. The words which she had known so well were now foreign to her. It all came back to that damn hanyou. They had prepared his role in history so well. How could he have gotten so far out of hand. Sighing, she wondered if she would have to intervene in human affairs. She hated doing so with a passion. It interfered with what was written in the book of life. So far all he had done was to change the way that an event occurred, not altered the final outcome. But that day was coming. When it came it would threaten the very existence of the kami. If the hanyou was not stopped he would tip the balance in Japan and it would lost to the Kami forever. Suddenly, she saw something out of place in the temporal sequence. A book in the hands of a tai-youkai lord. This book could destroy history if it was in the wrong hands. She must destroy this book before it did any harm.

Nobunaga was beside himself. It had been a great year. He had swept aside the Shogunate and all of its allies. The last of the Asai and Asakur and all of their castles were gone. A new shogun was in place in Kyoto. His shogun at last. His only regret was that he could not kill the former shogun. He knew that somehow the deposed shogun would still foment trouble at least he would not be able to hide in Kyoto any longer. Nobunaga would now able to concentrate fully on the weakened Takeda and the Ikko Ikki. He needed something to feed to his demon. What better way to feed his best warrior than with the blood of his enemies.

Tokugawa was fortunate to be alive. If Nobunaga and Inuyasaha had not come when they did he was not sure that he could have held out against the Takeda onslaught. Instead of defeat at the hands of the Takeda, Inuyasha had delivered him a victory. Shingen Takeda was dead, but the Takeda clan was still a threat to him. He would have to upgrade his defenses for the next assault.

Sesshoumaru approached his mate. He needed to know what this book meant. How could anyone know what the future would bring. Yet it was clear that this book was about the future It told of events which had not occurred yet, people who had not been born. Was it a work of fiction or did it foretell the future. He needed to know what the notes entered in the margin about history being changed meant. Kagome would know. It was her book. The notes were in her handwriting. His questions were too important to wait till morning.

"Kagome, wake up, I need to talk to you about this book."

Kagome gazed wearily through sleep-clouded eyes at her mate. What did he want? Why had woken her up at this ungodly hour. Finally, she focused on the book in his hand. She gasped. It was her history book. How had he obtained it? He was not supposed to know what the future would bring. What was she going to do?

"What do you need to know ,Sesshoumaru."

" I need to know what this book is. Is it fiction or is it a forecast of the future.?"

Kagome chose her words carefully. She knew that Sesshoumaru would smell a lie.

" Please do not ask about it, Sesshoumaru. It contains information which might alter what is to come. Think of it as secrets which were not meant to be revealed to you. If you act on the secrets then you will change what is to come. The change might be for the best and might be worse. The consequences could be devastating."

Sesshoumaru listened intently. She was not lying. The book was indeed a danger to all of them. Somehow he knew that she was hiding a truth from him. He must know what it was before she returned the book to her.

" I will return the book to you on one condition. I must know the secret that you are hiding. I am your mate and I should know what dangers you face so that I can protect you against them."

At length Kagome answered him. " I am from a time 500 years in the future where there are no youkai. I was reincarnated from the Priestess Kikyou and returned to this time through the well on my family's property. The Jewel lured me into the Well because of the lingering affection that Kikyou had for Inuyasha. Kikyou had tried to get rid of the Jewel by burning it with her body, but when I was born the Jewel was inside of me.. The Jewel wanted to return to this era so that it could reconnect with Naraku. In the end I killed Naraku and caused the Jewel to disappear.

"This book is history of this era. It does not belong here. It is too dangerous. If it should fall into the wrong hands its could change things forever."

Sesshoumaru was shocked. He did not know what to say. The little miko was so much more than he imagined. A time traveler. A reincarnated miko. The slayer of Naraku and destroyer of the Jewel. When he took her as his mate the night of the victory party they were both drunk. They knew nothing of each other. They were just drawn by the bond of lust and sake. Fourteen years had passed since their mating. Their mating had been blessed by two children. He did not even mind that they were hanyous. Everything had gone perfectly for them until this moment. Their mating had brought him nothing but happiness. He would not let this discovery spoil what had happened between them.

Amaterasu realized that she needed to intervene. The book must removed from this era. Thingswere already being changed in the book of life. She could not have someone haphazardly changing the events which were destined to occur. At this moment subtly would not work. The miko and the dai-youkai had served there purpose in bringing down Naraku. The Kami had intended this union even though it might have seemed that they intended to have Kagome mate with Inuyasha. What was unanticipated was the effect the sudden "betrayal" by Sesshoumaru and Kagome had on Inuyasha. It was not supposed to happen this way. The attraction was supposed to have been gradual. Inuyasha was supposed to have made to accept their relationship and move on Amaterasu suspected that one of the other Kami might have set up these two to create the sudden bond. Instead, Inuyasha had gone to Nobunaga and changed history. So far he had only hastened events, but the potential for disaster was there. If Nobunaga continued on course, the gaijin and their foreign kami would win in the end. The worship of the Kami would be a thing of the past. Somehow Amatersau must correct what had been done. She would start by removing the book.

A light more brilliant than a thousand suns suddenly appeared in a room in the Western Shiro on Kyushu. Sesshoumaru and Kagome were blinded by the light. Amaterasu materialize in front of them. She must take the book from them without any further interference. Sesshoumaru began to recover. What was the chief Kami doing on earth? He had to know.

"Kami. Why are you here?"

"Youkai scum, I must have that book that your little mate has been secreting. It is polluting the book of life. I must remove it to safeguard the future."

" She has not used this knowledge to affect the future. You have no right to come here and accuse us of anything."

" Everything you do is of interest to us. The Kami guard the book o f life. You and the Miko from the future seriously altered the book of life when you mated. The way you mated caused Inuyasha to react in a way contrary to the way these events were supposed to happen. The Kami must correct what has happened so that he does not destroy the course set out in the book of life. We will start from removing that book so that no one will know what the future holds. That way no one will be tempted to change it."

Sesshoumaru decided that she was right. The book was too much of temptation and must be removed from this time before it caused any further damage. He handed her the book. She disappeared in a flash of light. The Kami were not noted for their explanations. They simply took what they wanted and went on about their business. Sesshoumaru knew that it was not in his power to oppose their wishes. The book was of no value to him. He did not really care what happened to humans. Her comments about his mating and what Inuyasha was doing interested him. He wondered if his mating with Kagome had somehow changed history. The Kami seemed less interested in the mating than its effect on Inuyasha. At the time of their mating he and Kagome had tried to avoid problems by immediately going to Kyushu. Somehow they had changed the future by sending Inuyasha to Nobunaga. Inuyasha was changing the future before his eyes. The Kami had indicated that she intended to set things right. She did not say how she intended to do so. Sesshoumaru had never depended on the Kami to look out for his interest. He would not do so now. If Inuyasha was the problem, Sesshoumaru would take care of the problem by eliminating Inuyasha from the equation. It was after all his right to kill Inuyasha. It did belong to the Kami.

Amaterasu returned with the book. While she had taken care of one problem she knew that she may have created another problem. She knew that Sesshoumaru would now try to kill Inuyasha. Neither of them should be killed. She simply needed to remove Inuyasha from Nobunaga's side without killing him. The second problem she had disturbed her more than the trivialities of human books and battle between hanyous and dai-youkais. Some kami had been interfering with the book of life by changing the manner of the mating of Sesshoumaru and Kagome and sending dreams to warn Nobunaga of the pending disaster for Tokugawa. Kami were simply not allowed to cross her Itneeded to be stopped now. She would have to take a more proactive tilt to prevent kami interference from destroying what they had.

Kagome huddled under the mokomoko-sama. Its warmth and the warmth of her mate comforted her. She had never met a kami. The idea that her history book warranted the intrusion of the chief kami boggled her mind. How could her mating with Sesshoumaru have changed history? It had certainly seemed right to her. She wondered how her revelations to Sesshoumaru would affect his feelings for her. All of her history was behind her. She should stop worrying about. Her future was with Sesshoumaru. That is where her concentration should be.


	14. The Katana of Nobunaga

The second year of Tensho .had gone badly If Nobunaga thought that his problems were solved by the destruction of the shogun's coalition he was sadly mistaken. Takeda Katsuyori had jtaken Taketenjin Castle in Tôtômi from Tokugawa Ieyasu . Ogasawara Nagatada, the defender of the castle had surrendered it to the Takeda and joined the Takeda side. The Ikko-ikki had just taken Echizen.. The blockade of Ishiyama Honganj was unsuccessful because the Morii fleet bringing supplies had broken through the ships Nobunaga had placed guarding the entrance to the delta.

Inuyasha was horribly frustrated The last year he had not killed anything. No humans or youkai not even a bunny rabbit. He was beginning to wonder how Nobunaga would taste as the blood slid down his throat. Such thoughts were not allowed. One did not simply kill the master. He could feel the pull of the Shurangama Mantra strong within him. So long as spell controlled him he must obey the master and not kill him. Still would like some fresh meat.

Takeda Katsuyori awoke from his dream. In his dream his cavalry charged the Oda arquebusiers and broke them. The battle always ended the same way with his troops riding around with the heads of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Tokugawa. on pikes. Such wonderful dreams Surely the Kami were telling him that if he forced these three into battle that he would be victorious. He redoubled his efforts to get prepare for the spring campaign when he was sure that he would find victory. He would revenged for his father's death and what had occurred at the Battle of Mikatagahara. He still did not understand what had happened. They had been so close to wiping out the Tokugawa. The snow had prevented him from seeing what happened. All he knew that five furrows of fire had appeared suddenly from the direction from the Oda arqubusiers. There were rumors that Nobunaga had a pet demon. Maybe Takeda should bring along a priest or two to throw offuda at him if he appeared. He wondered at his father's death.

Before the Battle of Mikatagahara Shingen had been so vital and yet he had died just two months later. If he did not know better he would have thought that his father was killed by a curse. But why. What kami could his father and the Takeda have offended. Shingen was after all a devoted follower of the Buddha while Nobunaga killed the warrior monks and openly courted the favor of the Kami of the gaijin.

Tokuagawa looked at his map. Since taking Taketenjin Castle in Tôtômi Takeda Katsuyori was following the pattern of his father, Takeda Shingen. He would take the castles of Tokugawa one by one until he controlled all of the Tokugawa lands. Only then would he proceed against Oda Nobunaga Nobunaga needed to send him relief immediately before the campaign season began or it would be too late.

Nobunaga looked at the scroll. The time had come. He would gather his forces and come to the aid of his ally, Tokugawa. He would unleash Inuyasha. This time there would be no survivors. Inuyasha would be allowed to kill all the Takeda. It had worked with the Asai and the Asakura after Anegawa. There Inuyasha's actions in destroying the castle had allowed him to kill all of his enemies at once and next leave them for another day. Nobunaga had used this pattern of the annihilation of his enemies at Mt. Hiei and at Nagashima.

Takeda had thought that the fight with Tokugawa would be easy. The commander of Taketenjin Castle had surrendered that castle to him. He had arranged fort one of Tokugawa's retainers to open the gates of Hamamatsu Castle. It was only when he halfway to the castle that he discovered that the plot had been foiled. He had brought only a small force because he thought that treachery would prevail and he only be fighting the castle force of the Tokugawa. He did not want to return to Kai empty handed. He decided to move on to Nagshino Castle which was a fortwhich stood abreast of his supply lines. Taking it seemed simple enough. If he drew Tokugawa out of Hammamatsu Castle. He would simply destroy him.

In early June Tokugawa received word that Takeda had laid siege to Nagashino Castle. A single warrior had risked death to bring the message of the siege. Tokugawa knew that if he ventured forth to the relieve the siege the Takeda would destroy him. He did not have the skills, the cavalry or arqubusiers to oppose the cavalry of the Takeda. He needed Nobunaga and he needed him now. So he sent a messenger to Nobunaga stating that if he did not come to the aid of his ally before fort fell that Tokugawa would switch sides and join the Takeda against Nobunaga.

He sent the messenger from the fort back to tell them that help was on the way. The message never reached them. The messenger was captured and crucified by the Takeda for his trouble. Nobunaga received the message from Tokugawa loud and clear. All the preparations for the campaign had already been made.. He had 30,000 prepared to travel including 3000 arqubusiers to deal with the Takeda cavalry. When combined with the 8000 soldiers of Tokugawa he would have overwhelming superiority against the Takeda. But he had won against 10 to 1 odds on previous occasions. His ace in the hole was the demon. He would wait for the Takeda cavalry to charge before he opened the arquebusiers to allow the demon to attack. It would be a complete surprise. It was trap which the younger Takeda had fallen into at the Battle of Mikatagahara . Surely, he would fall into again if Nobunaga made it appear that the arquebusiers were helpless against the Takeda lancers.

In late June the combined Tokugawa and Oda forces reached Nagashino Castle. The advisers of Takeda Katsuyori urged him to either retreat or take the castle. Instead, Takeda prepared his weary troops for battle against the troops which had arrived in his rear.. The allies encamped at Shitaragahara and began constructing palisades. Takeda did nothing until the fortifications were completed. He was waiting for rain so that the arquebusiers would not be able to fire. While he waited the fornication were completed. The allies began to raid his camps in force. He could no longer escape without a direct attack on the arquebusiers. It occurred to him the position he was in was exactly like his position in the dream. This was his moment in history. His cavalry would charge the fortifications. The resulting breaking of the allied line would result in a great victory. Tokugawa, Nobuanga and all his generals were here. This was his day. This was his chance for victory. The victory which had been denied to his father would be his. With Nobunaga gone the Shogunate would be his. The kami had sent the dream to him as a premonition of his success. Tomorrow would be his day.Unfortunately, the sun rose on June 28,1575. Takeda prepared 10,000 of his 15,000 troops to charge Baba Nobuharu's contingent would attack on the northern part of the line. It would be the cavalry against the arquebusiers. Nobunaga had learned about volley fire from fighting the Ikko-ikki. They had defeated him at Ishiyama Honganj five years previous to this by firing by rank into oncoming troops. The cavalry were charging uphill over difficult terrain into arquebusiers who were firing from behind palisades. At first it seemed as if the battle would follow Takeda's dream. The northern part of the line reached its objective. The vanguard of the cavalry actually broke through part of the line and set upon the arquebusiers who were now defenseless against the cavalry.

It was at that moment that the chant of "Katanna" went up from Nobunaga's lines. The lines parted and into the breach stepped the demon. The horseman reined their steeds to a halt. Before them was a demon screaming "Wind Scar" as his sword struck five furrows of death into the earth. In a flash everything touched by the arc of death was destroyed. Arqubusiers, cavalrymen palisades all disappeared in an instant. The demon grinned as walked bare foot through the path of destruction. It was a good day for them to die. His master had promised that they would all die today. None would escape. He struck his sword on the ground again. Wave after wave of Takedacavalry vanished into the onrushing wind. He struck again and again until any horseman who had been part of the charge was lying dead at his feet.

He noticed that Takeda Katsuyori's contingent was trying to flee the field . He moved to intercept them Moving to intervene was Baba Nobuharu's contingent . They had seen the disaster and interposed themselves between their lorand the demon. To the demon it made no difference whom he killed. He had been promised all the humans he could kill and these humans were offering themselves as living sacrifices. Whowas he to argue with their selflessness. So he killed them too. When it was done only 5000 of the 15,000 Takeda made it back to Kai with their lord. They only survived because of the distraction of the demon by the northern contingent.

The demon was satisfied. It had been a good. day. He had gotten to kill as he wanted. Now he would drink the blood and taste the flesh of the vanquished. Never mind that some had gotten away while he was distracted. He could not be expected to kill everyone. A ball of light hovered over the battlefield. The demon stared at it in wonder. Was it a threat?He gripped his sword and fired a Winds car at the retreating globe. With the distraction gonehe returned to his grisly task. By the end of the day the battlefield would be clean of carcassesand he would be full. A satisfactory end to a great day.

Sesshoumaru materialize at a vantage point overlooking the battlefield. He had a hard time watching the creature that used to be Inuyasha. It appeared to a full demon. That was impossible.He had gone over this ground with Bousenko so many years ago. That creature should not be ableto use Tetsusaiga if it was a full demon. Tetsusaiga should not itself be used by this lesser life form. All of his learning and training said that what was occurring should not be allowed. Tetsusaiga had allowed it. The kami had allowed it and he had not been able to stop it.

A ray of sunshine materialized next to him.

"That is not your brother. It is merely possessing his body.'

Sesshoumaru gazed at the kami who had appeared next to him.

"Do you want to kill him or is that my job?"

"We still have plans for him. His name is still in the book of life. We have had enough interference from him. No interference is welcome from you either. Go back to your mate. Take

care of your children. We will manage him"

"Like you have managed him so far. I saw the notes that my mate made in the margin. He is changing her history. You may have taken her book away, but you cannot deny that he is on the brink of destroying everything that is written in your precious book."

" So far he has not changed the actual course of events. He had merely changed the way that events were supposed to happen and when they occurred. We are still on course. There is a plan which will stop him before he destroys our history."

" And why should I trust you in this matter. You seem helpless in the face of what has occurred."

The kami would not answer him and disappeared into the sunlight. Sesshoumaru felt as if he must do something to stop Inuyasha before it was too late. He would have to give it further thought.

Nobunaga could not believe the scope of his victory. The Takeda were done. The cream of the Takeda was either dust in the wind or fodder for his demon. After today all Japan would cower before him. He thought about proceeding to Kai to finish off Takeda, but decided to leave that for another day.

The Takeda troops finally reached Kai after riding nonstop from the battlefield. The castle made itself ready for an assault that never came. Their leader collapsed onto his bed. He could not understand. The kami had sent him the dream showing his victory. How could he have lost?


	15. The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

Susanoo had not been to Ise in a long time. The summons from his sister was not surprising.She was not the boss of him. Earth was his realm. He had been banished here. Amaterasu could come and go as she pleased so long as she performed her duties as sun goddess. He had not seen her for ages. The last time he had seen her was when he brought her Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi ("Grasscutter Sword"), as a reconciliation gift after he had killed Yamata no Orochi..That sword still belonged to her worthless kin, the Emperors of Japan. They were a waste of humanity. None of them had any power for hundreds of years. Susanoo had understood that Amaterasu had wanted to give the sword to them since they were descended from her. They just had done nothing to deserve it. It dishonored him that such mortals possessed the gift he given to Amaterasu.

Amaterasu felt his presence. Could it really be him? He had made her so angry that she had used the boulder to shut herself in the cave. After all he had destroyed her rice fields and irrigation canals and defiled her temples with his excrement. Even then he had thought giving her a sword would atone for these crimes. She did understand that he had just been excited about going to the underworld. Their parent after all had named him Brave Impetuous Male. No wonder he was so fond of Inuyasha. He had not been pleased at what they had done to Inuyasha after all Inuyasha had been through. If anybody was tampering with the role of Inuyasha, it would be him.

Nothing in Kagome's history book or their Book of Life showed events occurring the way that they were. Only a god could be interfering in this manner. The interference had not been overt. But it was there. Someone had spiked the sake at the victory party to push Sesshoumaru and Kagome together earlier than planned. Someone had given Inuyasha the idea to show up at the Battle of Okehazama just when Nobunaga needed him. Someone had placed Inuyasha at Anegawa so that he could deal a death blow to Nobunaga's enemies years in advance of the date that it was supposed to happen. Inuyasha had been brought together with Miroku at Mt. Hiei in such a way that Inuyasha's nature had been altered. Since then Inuyasha had destroyed the Ikko-ikki at Nagashima five years before they should have destroyed, Inuyasha had showed up at the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573.due to fortuitous dream that Nobunaga had been sent in time to defeat the Takeda instead of Tokugawa surviving with only five samurai. In the latest misadventure the Takeda lord had been sent a dream wrongly informing him that he would conquer Tokugawa and Nobunaga even though he was in fact outnumbered nearly three to one.

True. Nothing in the Book of Life had actually changed. Events were still on course. Yet it was clear evidence of tampering. Amaterasu could not permit such tampering even from her elder brother. He must be told in no uncertain terms that she was in charge and he was not to tamper with her work. How she was enforce such a ruling was another matter. Perhaps she could convince him to send his wife, Princess Kusinada to stay with her at the temple of Ise as an act of good faith. She knew that he would never admit tampering. What she would try to do was draw him into a discussion of these events to determine how her brother felt about Nobunaga and Inuyasha. By doing so perhaps he would reveal what he done to alter events and could be persuaded to cease his interference in the future.

Susanoo suspected that his sister had ulterior motives for her invitation. She may have noticed his maneuvers regarding Inuyasha and Nobunaga. No doubt, she would insist that he would insist that events occur exactly as was set out in her book. She acted as if she was the arbiter of life and death. Their parents had not given that task to her. Since Buddhism had come to Japan, he and his sister had allowed King Enma and the ten kings to control many of the aspects of judging the dead. Susanoo had no present interest in the underworld or the world of dead. If the kami of the Buddhists wished to occupy this realm, more power to them. He had his hand full ruling the storms and the seas. He had never received the credit that he was due for the kamikaze which had broken up the Mongol invasion fleet.

Amaterasu had never worried about the kami of the Buddhists. Somehow the Buddhist and Shinto kami had reached a rapprochement. She must be worried about the Christian kami that surrounded Nobunaga. He had read the book of life.. The Christian kami would never be a serious threat to them. The Tokugawa whom he had been nurturing would ban them in the endand execute all who followed these kami. Nothing he had done had altered this time line. How could his sister believe that events had been altered which were contrary to his own interest. He transformed his wife into her comb form and placed in his hair. Now he was ready to meet his sister.

He entered the temple. She was seated near the altar. No humans were around to witness this dialogue of deities.

"Greetings ,oh, shining one. To what do I owe this invitation to grace your magnificent presence."

Amaterasu practically gagged on his. statement. How dare he come here and disgrace her temple for idle flattery. The years had not improved him. He was still an uncouth and rude person not worthy to be a kami. She was ashamed that he was her brother. She steeled herself. Her emotions would not get the best of her. Otherwise, he would escape the punishment that was due to him.

" Brother, you know why you are here. You have meddled in mortal affairs. Events are occurring at different times than they should. There is a danger that the hanyou will assist Nobunaga into usurping us."

"But, sister, you would never let that happen. Events have taken place just as book said they would. Just because I inserted the hanyou into events does not mean that anyone will remember what occurred. In the end Nobunaga will die and history will be told by the Tokugawas. Our little hanyou will disappear from history and no one will be the wiser"

"I do not trust you, brother. I can count six changes in history already. Do I alter the memories of all of Japan in order to make they forget about your little hanyou."

" It is not fault that you manipulate everything. I just thought that the hanyou should get a little revenge for what you have put him through. You were planning to have Kagome leave Inuyasha for Sesshouarmu. I just sped up the process. I did push him toward Nobunaga. Nothing he has done has changed history. I am sure that your manipulation of the forces arrayed against Nobunaga have seen to that. Nobunaga has never had a chance to take advantage of Inuyasha. He has always had the shogun, the Ikko-ikki and now the Takeda arrayed against him. I can see your hand in all of these maneuvers. He will not be able to reunite Japan because of what you what have done. If your relatives would just show some backbone none of this would be necessary. I should march up to those effeminate weasels and ask for my sword. back. You always were devious, sister. Why can not I have some fun with Inuyasha. After all you were prepared to throw him away after he saved your kami butt with Naraku. And what was to be his reward.. To see the only woman he ever wanted handed over to his brother. You are insufferable woman. I least I have given him a new career killing humans. I always thought that it was so ironic that a being that was so mistreated by humans should be given a sword. designed to protect. humans. I love irony. Now the sword causes him pain whenever he uses it to kill humans. In the end Nobunaga will not succeed. You know that and I know that. Hideyoshi will conquer Japan and Tokugawa will conquer Hideyoshi. It will all work out for the best. The Christians you worry about will be banned or executed. My Tokugawa will require everyone to register at a shrine or temple. The gaijin will be driven from Japan and will not return for two hundred fifty years. Are you not happy, sister. Everything will work out in the end and we will all live happily ever after."

Amaterasu could not have been more angry at her brother at any time other than blocking herself into the cave. How dare he meddle with what rightfully belonged to her. Events had been preordained and they would follow the book to the letter. She should not have had to intervene against Nobunaga by placing barriers in his path. The hanyou should not be there at Nobunaga's side forcing her deeper into human affairs. His meddling had to stop now.

" Perhaps I did not make myself clear. You are to stop your interference now. I know that you think events will work themselves, but I have had to make up for your little escapade. If you thought that being banished to earth was bad, wait until you are banished to the underworld. See if you can pull your shit down there. At least there you could not screw around with the Book of Life. Have I made myself clear or do I have to turn your beloved hanyou into dog food."

Susanoo smiled. His sister had made a joke even though she was probably not aware of it.

"We hear and obey your August blessedness. We humbly beseech you to grant us a boon and not turn the seas to steam."

Amaterasu laughed at this. Maybe she and her brother could get along after all and Japan could save from the gaijin and the foreign kami for another two hundred. years. She dismissed him, but she would never trust him. There would have to more pieces thrown at Nobunaga to keep him busy until the reuniting of Japan could take place.

As her brother walked away, she suddenly remembered something she had wanted to tell him.

" Stop interfering with the dreams of mortals. Dreams are too important to be left to amateurs."

Her brother halted, looked back at Amaterasu and grinned. " Sweet dreams , sister."


	16. Who mourns for the Ikko Ikki

It seemed to Nobunaga that he had always hated the Ikko ikki. He was not sure when he had begun to hate them or why he just did. At Mount Hiei and later at Nagashima he had merciless. Everyone had to die. Not one man, woman or child had been allowed to escape. They could not be bought. They had no honor. They did not respect the authority of any overlord. Worst of allthey replaced the local lords with their own authority. They would have to be exterminated to the last person.

It was all Rennyo's fault. The first abbot of Ishiyama Hongan-ji. His Pure Land philosophy which he had brought to this temple when he had fled Kyoto was the source of all of Nobunaga's grief. The philosophy which was pacifist in nature had somehow turned into a military mantra. The followers would drive out the warlords to establish the Pure Land for the Amida Buddha.

The temple at Ishiyama Hongan-ji had become a impentrable fortress. It was the symbol of resistance to the power of warlords. From here they had spread along the coast and throughout the Kanto. They had actually ousted the samurai rulers of Kaga and Echizen.and ruled over those regions in their stead. They had threatened the very existence of Tokugawa dominion in Mikawa until he defeated them and began to carry their banner "Renounce this filthy world attain the Pure Land" into battle. Still he burned their temples to the groung

They had defeated Nobunaga and his generals again and again. At one of these defeats in1569 they had killed his brother. The temple at Ishiyama Hongan-ji had defied him for five years now and seem to be stronger than ever with the support of the Mori It stood like a beaming light to all of the downtrodden peasants and samurai who had been overtaxed or been enlisted in the peasant levies of the warlords of the Kanto.

Located as it was at the mouth of the Kisogawa at it point of entry to the Inland Sea. It was located on an island. There were only four causeways leading into the island from neighboring islands. . Nobunaga had set his main siege forces to the east of the island next to Osaka Bay. His superiority in manpower was offset by the fact that the causeway allowed the Ikko ikki to nullify his numerical strength.

He had been driven back again and again. The monks were as trained in weaponry as his samurai. were. They had arquebuses. Each monk was required to make seven arrows a day. Most of all they had a fanaticism that drove them. Nobunaga would always remember the mass chanting of "Namu Amida Butsu" by the monks as his army withdrew in 1576. His attempt to blockade Ishiyama Hongan-ji. had failed when the Mori broke his blockade at the Battle of Kizugawaguchi. Nobunaga was humiliated by this defeat. How could monks defeat him when none of the mighty warlords could. He resolved to end the battle once and for all.

The monks would be starved. out. No more relief would come from Mori. Hideyoshi was sent to harass the Mori. Nobunaga himself began building a fleet of iron covered ships. When the Mori brought their fleet to Kizugawaguchi for a second time , Nobunaga's fleet of ironclad ships was waiting for them. Neither arrows or musket balls would penetrate them. Fire would not burn them. In the end all of Mori ships were burned, captured or sunk. The only Oda ship that had been sunk had been captured by a boarding party. There would be no more supplies for the monks delivered to them by sea.

The time had come for the Abbot to put out a distress call to any available warlord to save the monks. Ueseugi Kenshin responded. Kenshin was after all the self styled Kanto-Kanrei. He had fought four battles with Takeda Shingen before the Shadow Warrior had mysteriously died. Now that his nemesis was gone, he needed a new enemy. Fighting Nobunaga fit in with his plans. When Nobunaga moved to defend one of his vassals who was under attack, Kenshin had his opportunity.

Kenshin had some 30,000 troops arrayed against Nobunaga 50,000 men. It seemed more than a fair fight. Kenshin had supreme confidence in his ability to beat Nobunaga. They met at the Tedorigawa in Kaga, Nobunaga had been lured into attacking when Kenshin tricked him into thinking that he had divided his forces. Kenshin had repelled the charge and forced Nobunaga back against the waters of the Tetori River. He had to retreat. Kenshin did not pursue them.

Kenshin went back home to prepare for a spring campaign to finish off Oda once and for all. Luck seemed to be favoring Oda. Just as Takeda had died when he seemed ready to destroy Tokugawa and Nobunaga . On March 13 Kenshin the " the Dragon of Echigo" was struck down and died of apoplexy. It seemed too convenient. Especially to one sun goddess.

Amaterasu clearly saw Susanoo's hand in Kenshin's death. Why did she not she coming? She should have realized that Takeda's death had not been an accident. It took place just when Takeda was finally interested in destroying Nobunaga. Now Kenshin who had been summoning his vassals for a campaign against Nobunaga just happened to die at just the moment in history when Nobunaga could have been destroyed. True, their deaths had happened just as the Book of Life foretold. It just seemed too fortuitous for Nobunaga that these two longtime enemies had died just when they threatened Nobunaga. Amaterasu did not believe in luck. She knew what would happen every moment of every day. It bothered that her brother felt it necessary to make those events occur. She would have to have another chat with him.

Nobunaga regrouped. Kenshin was dead. Someone must like himmThe Mori could not come to the aid of the Ikko Ikki anymore. They were slowly starving to death. The siege had left them short on food and ammunition. The time had come to release the demon. He would get Nobunaga the revenge for all of the years that he had spent fighting the Ikko Kiki. The demon had spent too many years been underfed. The time had come for him to feast on monks.

Inuyasha was brought to Ishiyama Hongan-ji. The idea was that Nobunaga's generals would continue to put pressure on the Ikko Ikki. with the 60,000 troops that Nobunaga had given to them. Inuyasha would pick off the troops as they were engaged. He would keep the monks guessing as to where he was so that they could not bring sutras to bear on him. The greatest pressure would be on the Saiga Ikki. Shibate Katsuie would engage them from the rear while Niwa Nagahide, Sakuma Morimasa and Matsunaga Hisanhide would attack the remaining contingents of the Ikku Ikki. It was to be a wear of attrition. The monks would run out of ammunition and food and Inuyasha would be allowed to slash and burn. This time the monks would not escape. Victory was already his for the taking.

Inuyasha was ecstatic So many monks so little time. Nobunaga would engage the monks. They would rush to meet. Inuyasha would hit them with the Wind Scar, they would flee in terror. Then when he would feast. The attacks were not frequent enough for him. Soon he was carrying outnight raids on sentries and pickets. The sheer adrenalin of killing was carrying. He had not slept in weeks. He could feel the terror on both sides. It exhilarated him. The thrill of tearing the monks apart with his claws was wonderful. Although he had never had sex, but he could not get any higher than he was at the moment.

Finally, the Saiga Ikki were cleared. The only Ikku Ikki left were those in Ishiyama Hongan-ji. The time had come for the final assault. Inuyasha was brought up to breach the walls this was to be the final solution for the Ikku Ikki problem. All of a sudden the war stopped.

Amaterasu was not one to take her own advice. Nobunaga was too successful. In a week all of the Ikku Ikki would be dead. She did not care for the Buddhist monks. It was Nobunaga and his pet demon that bothered her. Susanoo should not be allowed to succeed. She had to get her relative the emperor to intervene.

Nobunaga could not believe his ears. The Emperor had never cared for the Ikku Ikki how could he ask for them to be spared. He had spent eleven years preparing for this day. He was not about to stopped now. Unfortunately, the Emperor's word still had power even though he possessed no real power. If Nobunaga went against the Emperor he would never be able to become shogun. The Emperor was still divine. He could show descent from Amaterasu. No one else had any legitimacy without the approval of the Emperor. Somehow, he would have to allow the Abbot to surrender. He would make sure that the terms were harsh. The entire Ishiyama Hongan-ji would be torched and the monks would forced to leave for Saiga. They would be disarmed and forced to actually behave as the peaceful monks that professed to be.

Several figures watched the burning monastery with interest. The Emperor's emissary oversaw the exit of the monks who left under the Emperor's guarantee of safety. Susanoo thought that the burning felt smelled great. Amaterasu was just glad that Nobunaga had been allowed to storm the complex. The Emperor had embarrassed him. It would take him sometime to get over the shock of having to be humiliated by the Emperor. Nobunaga watched with some satisfaction as Ishiyama Hongan-ji burned to the ground. The Emperor's safe passage would not protect the monks if they just happened to be killed in random attacks. In the end they would all be dead. He

would have abided by the Emperor's decree. No one would be the wiser. Inuyasha was furious. He had been promised the blood of the monks. Now it had been denied to him. Nobunaga had tried to tell him that he would allowed to kill him. It would just be another day. He did not want to wait. The master had forced him to obey. Someday the master would slip. He would be free and there would be no master to stop him.


	17. The Dark Knight of the Soul

Kouga raced along the hills, blowing a large trail of dust behind him. Some days he felt the need to just run and run far. He pulled up suddenly as a familiar scent brushed by him. He frowned puzzled by the smell. What the blazes was the owner of that scent doing this far in the hills

It had been years since he had smelled that scent. Yet it was a scent that he remembered like it was yesterday. It was the smell of person he had once despised almost as much as Narkau.

He had not smelled that reek since Naraku had taken his shards at Mount Azusa. That day he had departed on good terms with Inuyasha. He had hugged Kagome without Inuyasha protesting. Inuyasha had even thanked him for his part in the battle with Naraku. So long ago.

What was mangy mutt doing here? Here at the Northern Dens. What business could he have with the ookami.?

He reached a place where he could over the valley where the Dens were located. What he saw shocked him.

There were dead ookami everywhere. Young, old , adult. male. female.and their wolves. This had been a wholesale slaughter by someone who just wanted to kill.

In the center of it all were five furrows aimed straight toward what used to be the nurseries. The furrow could mean only one thing. Inuyasha had attacked the nurseries with his wind scar.

He raced to the nurseries. The smell of burned flesh almost overwhelmed him. There were no survivors here. Finally after some time searching through the rubble he found a lone survivor. Though the man he found was barely alive, Kouga needed information in order to know what had happened.

"What happened here, old man." asked Kouga.

The old ookami sighed : " About a month ago we received a scroll stating we must pledge our loyalty to the human Odo Nobunaga."

"Sometime after an emissary arrived with a note stating that if we did not pledge our loyalty by a certain date that we would be visited by the Sword of Nobunaga who would exact our loyalty by force if necessary."

"We have never gotten involved in human affairs other than to eat the old and the weak, so we ignored the warnings. Then he arrived. He was dressed in the armor of the samurai. He was face covered by a mask. which he never removed. He threw a note at the feet of one of our leaders and retreated to the top of that hill to wait. The note said that he would one hour for our submission. If the submission was not received within that time, that the Katana of Nobunaga would destroy everything and kill everybody. He appeared to staring at the sun. When the appointed time came he rose and drew his sword."It was a great sword. It gave off a powerful aura. He slammed it into the ground and those gashes in the earth are the result."None of the young ones were left alive in the nursery after he pulverized it. His gloved hands seemed to smoke as he sheathed the sword. By this time we had rallied the soldiers and began our assault. He removed his gloves revealing the fiercest claws that I have ever seen. His eyes shown red through his mask. He leaped over front ranks and assaulted the woman and elderly in the rear. This tactic created confusion as infirm began to run through our ranks. "He seemed to everywhere at once. Just when we would corner him he would escape to attack another group. His claws seemed to have the ability to eviscerate a full grown youkai in a single pass. At last we tried to surrender, but he would not have it. He killed even those who tried to surrender. All the time he was killing them you could hear him laughing as if this matter was all a joke to him. When it was over, he simply walked out of the village stepping on the piles of corpses as he went."

"How did you survive?" Kouga finally asked.

"I survived by being buried underneath the corpses and pretending to be dead."

"Did any flee?"

" Some may have escaped in the confusion. It is hard to tell. He did not follow them in any event."

Kouga helped the man to his feet. He would take him to next ookami den. He would have to assess what kind of threat Inuyasha posed before going after him. Why was Inuyasha working for Nobunaga? Why was he behaving this way? Inuyasha had always insisted on protecting humans from his wolves. Now he was behavingin a exceedingly cruel. manner. The attack on nurseries was inexcusable. This matter would have to handled delicately. If Inuyasha was indeed working for Nobunaga an attack on him might bring down the wrath of a very powerful and ambitious overlord and his gaijin allies with their cannon and firearms on the ookami. These ookami were not of his tribe so his blood did not boil as it did when Kagura destroyed his friends. So he must consult first with the ookami elders first to determine what could be done. Then he would like to ask the members of Shard hunters what had turned Inuyasha into such a vicious monster. If only Kagome was here, she could "osuwari" him.


	18. Shadow Warrior

Kouga came to Gifu fully prepared to confront Inuyasha. What Inuyasha had done in slaughtering the innocent was unforgivable. If Nobunaga wished the friendship of ookami, the price would have to be Inuyasha's head. The Elders had been reluctant. They had seen what Inuyasha had done to the Northen Ookaimi. Their fear was that if they confronted Nobunaga he would bring his Christian cannon and gaijin allies to bear on them.

Some of them had seen first hand what Nobunaga had done at the Battle of Nagashino, The arquebuses had destoyed the cavalry charge of Takeda. The ookami knew that it was only a matter of time before the new weapons were turned on the youkai.

Kouga had no such fears. He had faced tai-youkai. He had faced Naraku. He had no fear of some human who called himself the "Demon King". Still he bowed when he was introduced to the great man.Daring to view the tableau before Kouga saw a small bald man with a mustache sitting on a raised platform. To one side sat a person who must be his male companion In the shadows of the court sat the women

Sniffing the air Kouga smelled the foul smell of an odor he had come to know over the years. The person standing next to Nobunaga in samurai garb and mask could only be Inuyasha.Kouga would seek him out after the meeting and confront him face to face.

At last the meeting was over. The ookami had done their obeisance to Nobunaga. They were prepared to depart. Kouga now left their delagation to seek out Inuyasha. He followed the hanyou out of the audience chamber until at last they reached a courtyard within the castle. The courtyard was surrounded by long buildings. There was stream in the center with bridge leading to garden area. It was here that Inuyasha finally stopped.

"Who are you and why are you following me.?" snarled Inuyasha

"Mangy mutt, I have come to teach you a lesson for all the ookami you have killed." cried Kouga as he moved to attack.

Kouga was startled by Inuyasha's speed. Against the hanyou he would had the advantage of speed and power over Inuyasha as full youkai. This opponent was much different. Inuyasha had stripped off some of the samurai gear. His eyes were bloodshot red. His fangs and claws were longer than any demon he had ever seen.The eyes gave no recognition that they knew who Kouga was or any of their history. In Inuyasha's eyes Kouga could only see two things joy and death.

Inuyasha smiled as he saw the fear creep into Kouga's eyes. The fear fed his need to kill. He savored every minute almost as much as blood of his victims.

"Usually I kill only those that Nobunaga tells me to , but for you I will gladly make an exception." Inuyasha snarled.

As Kouga evaded the razor-sharp claws, Kouga wondered who this person who was trying to eviscerate him. This person bore no resemblance to the pup who he could toy simply by flirting with Kagome. This creature was a brutal killing machine who seemed to kill for the joy of killing Kouga knew that he would be lucky to escape alive from this confrontaion.

At last Inuyasha finally caught up to Kouga. The results were immediate. He ripped through Kouga's midsection. allowing entrails to fall out. Grabbing Kouga by the neck he held him at arm's length and he started to remove the worthless head from Kouga's body. . Kouga passed out from lack of breath, but not before his boweled were loosed.

Just then Inuyasha heard his masters voice. " Release him at once. He is our ally." The demon in Inuyasha wanted to complete the task and finish off the scrawny wolf, but the voice of Nobunaga was the voice of his lord and master the one person whom he must obey. It was he who had released the demon in Inuyasha The one who fed Inuyasha with an endless supply of new victims. So long as he was around. Inuyasha's taste for blood would be sated.

"Take that one back to his delegation. Have the court physicians bind his wound. Tell the ookami that if any of them ever assault my warrior again. I will allow the gaijin to level all of their dens."

With that Nobunga and his retinue left. Several of courtiers were aghast. They were not aware of what Inuyasha was. Nobunaga truly was the Demon King.

Ginta and Hakkaku finally caught up to Kouga as he being treated for his wounds in the castle infirmary. They looked at him in shock. He was much worse shape than he had ever been after any battle with Naraku. What could have happened.

One of them finally spoke. " So,Kouga, did you set Inuyasha straight about his attacks on the Northern Ookami."

Kouga looked at them with a straight face and said. "I told him that if he does not stop this nonsense immediately, I shall hang him up by his heels and chop him in half."


	19. A Day in the Onsen

Sesshoumaru stepped through the underbrush. "That is a fine greeting from a naked wolf so far from the rest of his pack."

Kouga grabbed his clothes and dressed hurriedly.

"And why is the leader of all mighty dog pack doing here at Gifu?"

"I could ask you the same question. This is a long ways from your eastern dens."

" I was up here with the Elders doing obesience to Nobunaga and I ran into an old friend."

"And he did that to you."

"Just a lucky punch."

"Wolf, if you get any more lucky, you will be dead. Does your friend have a name?"

"Yeh, it was your brother, Inuyasha."

The statement startled the tai-youkai. He had not seen his brother since the party celebrating the victory over Naraku. The night had been a haze which ended in his mating with Kagome. The one thing that they both agreed upon the next morning was that they had to get out of Kaede's village before Inuyasha caught wind of what they had done or .there would be a fight between himself and Inuyasha.

"And what would my brother be at Nobunaga's court?"

" That monster is now called the Katana of Nobunaga. Nobunaga uses him to send messages topeople who ignore his orders. I saw his handiwork at the Northern Dens."

"What was he dong there ?"

" Nobunaga gave him orders to kill them all unless they agreed to submit to Nobunaga."

" Since when did Nobunaga start to force the youkai to submit to his will ?"

"Since he found your brother to be his enforcer."

" Hn. So what happened at the Northern Caves."

" I talked to one of the few survivors They told me that Inuyasha used Tetsusaiga to destroy the nurseries with his Windscar, but it became too hot to handle so he sheathed, Something has changed about him. He was able to kill an entire tribe of wolf demons with merely his claws. His eyes are no longer gold they are red and his fangs and claws are longer than I have ever seen on any youkai except perhaps the dragons."

" So what happened at Gifu.?"

" I went with the Elders. They did not want anymore war with Nobunaga. They are afraid of his enforcer and his gaijin allies with their cannon and firearms. I sought Inuyasha out after the audience. He had no idea who I was, but he took great joy in gutting me. If Nobunaga had not intervened, I would have been killed."

" How did Nobunaga stop him? In my experience with him, when he went into these rages only Kagome, Tetsusaiga or myself are able to stop him?"

"I do not know how Nobunaga controls him, but he does seem to be on a leash. He told me that he only killed the persons that his master told him to kill. He was willing to make an exception for me. "

"What else did you notice about him?"

" He seemed to have no independent thought beyond what his master told him to do until I roused him to anger. When he attacked me, it seemed to give him a great . When he was standing by Nobunaga's side, he almost looked like a statute."

Sesshoumaru pondered all of this information that the wolf had provided to him. What kind of control could Nobunaga have over Inuyasha? Why was Tetsusaiga rejecting him? Where hadhe obtained so much demonic power and speed.? So many questions. He remembered that he had saved Inuyasha when Tetsusaiga had broken and his blood became unsealed. In the last battle of course he and Tenseiga, Tetsusaiga and Kagome's blood had all been necessary to reverse the change in Inuyasha. When Inuyasha had fought him on behalf of Magetsushi his demonic prowess had been equal to Sesshoumaru. What about now. He would have to give it some thought. Though he really did not want to see Inuyasha again.

The voice of the wolf finally roused me from his thoughts. " What are you doing at Gifu?

This is a long ways from your lands on Kyushu."

" I wanted to see what Nobunaga had become. He has been pressing his allies in the south who in turn have put pressure on our borders. In addition, on his invitation gajin from all over the world are pouring into the human ports at Kyushu."

" And what did you learn.?"asked Kouga

" That Nobunaga is a fool. He will continue to bring in the foreigners with their ships, strange weapons and strange priests until they no longer need him. Then they will take everything from him."

With that being said the tai-youkai started to leave when a question from the wolf stopped him.

"What happened at the last battle with Naraku?" Kouga wondered.

" Naraku thought that he could turn everyone to despair and that despair would feed the power of the jewel. It didn't work because Kagome and I never gave up. We were able to reverse the change in Inuyasha and free Kagome from jewels sealing. I was able to mop up with my sword Bakusaiga. Kagome destroyed the rest of Naraku with her arrow."

" And what happened to the jewel?"

"I do not know. After Naraku died Kagome was sucked into the Meidou. Inuyasha followed her.

A short time later they reappeared The jewel was gone. I have asked Kagome many times what happened but she never would tell me." Sesshjoumaru responded.

" Wait, have you seen my woman? Where is Kagome?" yelled Kouga

Anger swelled in the chest of the tai-youkai. " What did you call my mate?"

Kouga was startled "Your mate? She would have been my woman if she had not been in love with your baka half-breed brother. How in the world did she end up with a dog like you.?"

Sesshoumaru pondered the question for a second and responded, " I am not sure what happened.Kagome was drunk after the end of the celebration of the victory over Naraku. I just happened to run into her. Something just seemed right. Like we were supposed to be together. We mated that night and have lived together at my palace on Kyushu ever since."

" Do you love her? Are you happy together?"

" I have never understood those human words. I really do not know if I love her or if I am happy I just know that she is my mate and the mother of my heir and I will protect and care for her as long as she is alive." said Sesshoumaru at last

As an afterthought he stated blandly to the wolf " and if I ever you call her ,'my woman' again your hide will be hanging from my palace gate.".


	20. A Commission for Sango

Scraping noises filled the clearing as Sango sharpened her bone boomerang. She needed the quiet to think, to wonder if the decision she had made earlier. Life was so complicated since her village had been slaughtered. She looked up in surprise as her solitude was interrupted by a most unexpected guest.

" What are you doing here, Sesshoumaru?"

" My mate seems to think that I should offer you employment, taijya."

"What kind of employment.?"

" It was my understanding that you were a demonslayer."

" I am a demonslayer. I just haven't had any time to ply that trade since I married the monk and had his children."

" Has the monk discussed his experiences when he was captured by Nobunaga?"

" He mentioned that he had run into Inuyasha. when he was meditating with the monks on Mt.Hiei, but that was years ago"

"What did he say about Inuyasha?"

"He told me that Inuyasha had saved him by leaping into the path of the arquebusiers who had fired on him. The arquebusiers then captured him and were dragging him away when Inuyasha suddenly appeared in his youkai form. He killed the soldiers so Miroku had to purify him with one of his offuda. Just after he purified Inuyasha, Nobunaga showed up and he was captured and taken to Kyoto."

Sango did not remember that time fondly. In the middle of planting season the monk had felt it necessary to leave for Mt.Hiei to learn about the warrior monks there leaving Sango to provide for their four children. Miroku had been there when Nobunaga had attacked. He had told Sango that Nobunaga had burned all the temples and the villages at the base of the mountain and killed all the men, women and children.

"Did he tell you why Inuyasha was on Mt.Hiei?"

"No, Miroku was under the impression that Inuyasha was somehow working for Nobunaga, but you know that is ridiculous?"

"Ridiculous"

"Why are you asking me these questions, Nobunaga sent Miroku to you with that sealed message from Nobunaga.."

" This Sesshoumaru was merely trying to ascertain if the monk knew anything which he did not relay to me."

" So what is this commission you wish to me to perform."

" This Sesshoumaru wishes you to kill the Katana of Nobunaga."

"I do not kill humans."

"This Sesshoumaru knows that it is a demon."

"Why do you want it killed?"

"This Sesshouarmu has his own personal reasons for doing so, which he will not elaborate to a human such as yourself."

"Won't Nobunaga come after me and my family if I kill his prize retainer?"

" This Sesshouumaru will protect you from any sort of revenge by a mere human."

"If killing this demon is so important, why don't you kill it yourself?"

"This Sesshoumaru does not have the time to deal with trivial demons while gaijin swarm over his lands. Even the daiymo of the humans on Kyushu now worships the gods of the gaijin. All the humans now have the guns of the gaijin. While it is not a problem for this Sesshoumaru, it has created problems for those weaker than me."

"How much is worth to you to rid yourself of the Katana of Nobunaga.?"

"This Sesshoumaru will make it worth your while."

Sango considered all that Sesshoumaru had said. They now had six children. Miroku did not have a trade. They lived from hand to mouth barely scratching out a living. The monks skills of flirting with the ladies and flimflaming rich persons by the pretending to exorcize demons were worthless to him. The monk spent too much going to monasteries to learn sacred truths and not enough time at home raising their children. It was time for the monk to make himself useful and take care of the children while she made some money for them. They could certainly use it.

"I accept, but you must provide for the monk and our children while we are gone."

Sesshoumaru considered this request for a moment. The idea of the human children running through the Western Shiro was not a happy one. Still Kagome would welcome the company of her old friend, the monk, while he was out trying to clear Kyushu of the forces which Nobunaga had loosed. The daiymo and his gaijin allies had not fear or respect towards the youkai. Several priests had tried to exorcize him. As if that were possible

"I agree to your terms. You can start immediately."

"Where do I start looking for this demon?"

"This Sesshoumaru suggests that you start at Nobunaga's castle at Gifu and follow the trail of dead bodies. They are a telltale sign of its presence."

Sango kissed her children and husband goodbye. The children were still small enough for all of them to ride on Kirara. It felt strange for her to be slaying demons all by herself again. She had not gone a solo mission. since. that she had found the jewel shard that had doomed her family, her village and herself. Hopefully, Kirara would arrive before she faced the demon.

Sesshoumaru was very terse when she had asked for information on the demon. She did not know what sort of monster that she was facing. It took her over a week traveling to Gifu. She tried to blend in by getting a ride with some traveling trader whom he thought would protect him from the monk. The traders might stand out these days . Very few people on the road these days The roads were thick with warriors.. It made Sango very uncomfortable. All of them leered at her. She wondered how many of them had raped a woman during their wars.It was three weeks journey from the demonslayers village to Gifu. Once there she would have tofind a place to wait. Sesshoumaru had been less than helpful with his clues as to where to find the demon. She was not sure what Kagome saw in him. Then, she had never understood why the girl from the future had been attracted to Inuyasha.

Finally, some troops began leaving the mountain top castle at the head of a small body of troops was a large being covered from head to foot in samurai armor. Sango knew demon. This creature wreaked of demon. It also wreaked of blood. Somehow it seemed single minded and oblivious to its surroundings. Why hadn't she noticed that the demon was not leading the troops. It was rapidly them in its dust. She needed to move fast.

She borrowed a horse from one traders and took off after the rapidly disappearing demon. People were yelling horse thief. It could not be helped. Her prey was in sight. She was not about to allow it to escape if she could.

Finally, the screaming faded after she had ridden several miles south of Gifu. It would have been helpful if she had known where the monster was headed. Follow the string of bodies was not very helpful. She rode till it was dark and camped for the night. The monster was long gone. She would have to follow Sesshoumaru's advice when she set out in the morning.

The next morning she found her first clue. Ahead of her was a castle with a gate missing. The castle and the surrounding village were ablaze. Sango was nauseated by the smell of burning flesh both human and animal. She spurred her horse through the blasted gate to investigate.

She wanted to check to see if anyone was alive. It certainly was any duty she owed to the persons in this castle. The central castle seemed to be still somewhat intact. Sango noted this fact to herself and proceeded cautiously. The door had been blasted open. There were dead samurai everywhere.

The blood was still fresh. Something about the way that the soldiers had been killed seemed so familiar. She simply could not place it. She readied Hiraikotsu for use. Her senses was screaming that the demon was still in the building. She had always relied on stealth and surprise when dealing with demons. The majority of the demons that she slew over the years were blood thirsty monsters who attacked on sight without any hesitation or attempt to evade.

From Sesshoumaru had said and what she inferred this monster was very different. It was a monster that followed orders. It was like fighting one of Naraku's incarnations or even Kohaku. That thought sent shivers down her spine. Naraku and his ilk had been dead for years. Kohaku had been brought back to life. But she still remembered having to fight her own brother.

She shook off her reverie. This situation called for a high sense of alert. Something was prowling the central castle and if she was not careful she would be its next meal. There was noise coming from a room at the top of the stairs. She heard a scream and dashed through the door.

The demon was standing over a very ornately dressed man. It held the head of the man in one hand. Body parts of the lords personal guard were strewn throughout the room. The demon was wrapped up in its task that it did not notice her.

She flung Hiraikotsu with her best scream. Unfortunately, for her this scream was just enough notice for the monster to barely avoid being slice in two by the boomerang. It sprung out of the way and deflected Hiraikotsu on it return to Sango. Sango who had donned her mask, through her poison pellet. The monster was able to cover his face with sleeve. This action did give Sango time to draw her sword. Something about this fight seemed so familiar. Had the same fight occurred at another place and time. She struck with her sword. The sword stuck out of the demons armor where his heart should be. The demon pulled her poison mask. Let her get a taste of her own poison.

The demon gazed into face of the taijya. Something about her was so familiar. This woman was very special to him though he could not remember why. The demon carried her out of the poison gas into an adjoining room. His own face mask had come loose in the fight. He pulled the sword out his chest and laid her on the hard floor. Sango slowly came to her senses . She gazed into the cold red eyes that gazed down at her.

The white hair and ears This demon could only be one person. "Inuyasha.," she gasped.

The demon cocked its head at her. The name and this person seemed so familiar. It hurt when he tried to remember. Still for some reason he could not bring himself to kill this woman. Somewhere deep inside a part of him he remembered that this was a woman to whom he felt a deep kinship. Then he remembered his duty to his master. He must return with the head before sunset or the lord would be angry. He replaced his mask and leapt out of the room.

Sango gazed after him for a long time. What could have happened to him that made him the monster that he was.? She struggled to her feet. He must have departed the castle by now.

She picked up her sword and went to the other room to pick her poison mask and Hiraikotsu. This mission had been a failure. She would just have to go back and tell Sesshoumaru that shewould not take a mission to kill Inuyasha.

As she entered the courtyard she saw a welcome sight. There sat a small three tailed cat. She held out her arms. The nekomata leaped into the loving arms of her master. "Kirara, I am so happy to see you. It is time to get out of this place of death."

It took nearly a week of traveling to reach Sesshoumaru's castle on Kyushu. Sango had gone over and over in her mind what she was going to tell the tai-youkai. She did not appreciate being played for a fool. The demon lord had definitely known who the Katana o f Nobunaga . If she had known she would have never undertaken the commission.

As it was she was lucky she was still alive. Whatever Inuyasha had become he was a very dangerous demon. Dangerous even to a demon as powerful as Sesshoumaru. No wonder, the bastard had come to her to do his dirty work.

At last they reached the Western Shiro. She was announced at the gate and ushered before theLord of the West. He looked nonplused to see her.

"Taijya, have you completed the task I set for you."

"You bastard" she screamed. "You knew the Katana was Inuyasha and yet you sent me there anyway."

"So what is your point." he replied. " Of course he used to be Inuyasha. What is he today I do not know. I think that your husband knows Ask him."

" You could have got me killed."

"That is the risk you take when you fight a strong demon., taijya. I gave you a task and you failed me. You can expect payment from me." With that Sesshoumaru dismissed her and departed the chamber leaving her to splutter her angry words. If she had a list of demons who needed killing , he would certainly be at the top of the list.

Kagome came into the chamber to retrieve her friend. The women who had once been like sisters embraced. As they walked back to the women's chambers they started chatting about their lives. Neither was living the life they expected. Kagome told Sango what it was like to the Lady of the West. Sango was impressed by the court. life. She had certainly come a long way

from the timid school girl traipsing through their lives. Kagome's life was much better than it would have been had she become the mate of the hanyou. On the other hand, her life with Miroku had been no bed of roses. The only blessing was Miroku and the children. The women talked about their men and their children. Maybe they had not turned out so badly after all.

Finally, Kagome asked if Sango had seen Inuyasha.

Sango paused for a moment. " No, KagomeI do not now what happened to Inuyasha"

Kagome seemed disappointed, but let the conversation lapse. She knew that now that Sango had returned Sesshoumaru would want the humans out of the castle. She reached into robes, pulled out a purse and purse and pressed it into Sango's hand.

Sango tried to refuse, but Kagome hugged her close and whispered that this was only a pittance compared to all that Sango had done for her. They both broke down and cried. The next they climbed aboard Kirara and headed north from the castle. Sango looked back towards the castle. There was Kagome with her children waving to her as they flew out of sight.She wondered wistfully if she would ever her good friend again.


	21. In Defiance of Honor

Once there was a boy without honor. His mother and father had honor, but they died for it. He had no family, no one to each him what honor was. He died at the hand of the only person to whom he had ever reached out only to be revived by the reincarnation of the person who had killed. him. She had taught him to love, to trust and have honor. He tried saving her, but that did not impress her. He tried to dying for her, but she want him to live for her. He tried to send her away so that she would never be hurt by the monsters that wanted to kill him or take the jewel. She would not be sent away. She would stay with through attacks by his brother, through the revival of the undead miko, through the rise of Naraku, through the release of the demon,through the battle to master the sword She had taught him what honor was. It was the struggle to do the right thing in the face of insurmountable odds. It was staying true to a promise made to another. It was sacrificing everything for the love of another. In the end he had saved the girl and redeemed his honor. Just when it seemed that he was to be rewarded for his devotion, Kagome was ripped from him and with her gone, his honor was lost.

Once there was a demon who thought that honor was everything. He thought honor was power. If he had enough power then his honor would be fulfilled. But the father of this demon denied him the power that he craved.. He searched the world for the power that he had been denied. He became outraged that the power that he desired had been given to his brother. He tried to take the power back from his brother and failed. In his failure, he learned some things of value have nothing to do with power. Later, he learned that compassion for others and that the life of the one you love is worth more than power. Finally, he was able to give up his quest for power. His honor was restored and his true power was granted to him. Just when he had achieved his tai-youkai weapon he took his brother's intended as a thief in the night as his mate and so his honor was lost.

Once there was a girl who fell into a well and met a hanyou. Her love and friendship helped destroy the great evil that threatened to destroy the world. She had sacrificed her home, her family and her world for him. She had promised to stay with her hanyou forever, but just when she had returned to keep her promise, she gave her heart to another and broke the promise to her intended and so her honor was lost.

Once there was a god who had been banished from the sky by his sister. He would do anything to interfere with her sister's plans. He could not help himself changing the time of the tai-youkai being mated to the miko so that he could play with the hanyou. The despondent hanyou had been his perfect plaything when he set him on course to meet Nobunaga. Later when he was not satisfied with the amount of destruction the hanyou was producing he turned him into a demon.

Although he had never changed the outcome of a single event, he had dragged the hanyou through madness just for the hell of it. All to tweak his sister. Whether a god can lose his honor is not clear since gods are not subject to the limitations of others. Soosanoo never cared if his actions were honorable. Whether his actions were honorable or whether his honor could be restored was something humans and demons could only speculate about since they could not judge him.

Once there was a goddess who in her anger had blocked herself in a cave and banished her brother to earth. She knew everything that ever happened and everything that would happen. It irked when others attempted to interfere with the events were to be played out. She took back Kagome's book because she could not mortals altering the way that events should occur. She threatened her brother because he dared to change the exact manner in which events were to happen. It did not matter that nothing had changed. The fact that he had the temerity to use the hanyou for own amusement and put all of the kami in Japan at risk was beyond the pale. She had no need of honor. She was there to ensure that the universe went on the way that it should be. If this meant putting obstacles if front of Nobunaga to prevent him from changing the course of events. It did not matter what might happen to the hanyou. She did not personally care if he lived or died. What bothered her was that what he was doing was not what he was supposed to have done.

Once there was a minor lord who was not even the leader of his clan. Just as he had finally inherited his family home, another tried to crush him just because he was on the road to Kyoto. He had been prepared to die fighting preserving his honor by fighting when he was outnumbered 10 to 1. But instead the gods had stolen his glory by inserting a hanyou in his path. Nobunaga decided to forego his honor and taken advantage of the boon which the gods had bestowed upon him. From that moment on he became totally confident of his ability to become the supreme ruler of Japan. The hanyou was merely a weapon to be used against others. Those who opposed him would be pushed aside. He had survived so much. Takeda Shingen had opposed him. He was dead. Ueseugi Kenshin had opposed him he was dead. The last Ikku Ikki bastion had been overthrown. His only regret was that he had only been able to burn their fortress and not kill all of them as he had at Mt. Hiei and Nagashima. He might not be the greatest warrior in the world like Takeda Shingen and Ueseugi Kenshin, but he had survived their onslaughts and they were dead. The gods must have great plans for him. The hanyou was the key. His life had turned around the day he came into Nobunaga's life. It mattered not what happened to the hanyou. Nobunaga had made Inuyasha kill thousands of humans for him. He had watched him drink their blood. Nobunaga was truly the Demon King. He had sold his soul to achieve his end of the conquest of Japan. He would do so even if he had to have Inuyasha kill every demon and human in Japan who opposed him. His honor had been lost on that day so long ago when Inuyasha had handed him the head of Yoshimoto. Honor no longer meant anything to him. Only power. He would do anything to achieve it. Break in barrier. If he had to kill every Buddhist monk who opposed him he would do it. If it meant bringing the gaijin and their gods to assist he would do so. He has made his deal with the devil and would not look back to satisfy honor. The die had been cast.

And so the boy who had gained his honor by fighting for humanity against evil had instead become an evil demon had no thoughts of honor only of killing and drinking the blood of his victims. Inuyasha's honor would only be restored when the demon was gone and he had done penance for his sins.


	22. Whom the Gods would destroy

Amaterasu gazed at the triumphant Nobunaga. He actually believed that he could become supreme ruler of Japan. She knew. Soosanoo knew. Kagome and Sesshoumaru knew. They all knew that just when he was about to achieve what he had set to do so many years ago that all of it would gone in an instant. Instead, his sandal bearer would achieve his goal. Even he would lose all of it just as he was about to achieve. Amaterasu smiled. Humans must never be allowed to gain what they wanted. It was up to the gods to make sure that thy were kept in their place. Otherwise, humans would never appreciate the gods. Instead, they would trust only themselves and their own abilities. It was the gods duties to keep humans humble. She had a job to do to separate Inuyasha from Nobunaga. It was a task that she had been looking forward to for a long time. At last she could interfere with Nobunaga and correct the errors that her brother has committed in assisting Nobunaga.

Soosanoo knew that his sister was up to something. When he tried sending dreams to Nobunaga his board flashed the message " Connection busy. Dream in progress. Try again later." Before these rude interruptions, he had been very pleased with himself. Takeda Shingen and Uesegi Kenshin , the two greatest warriors of the age ,had died mysterious deaths from illness just when it seemed that they had become interested in fighting Nobunaga instead of fighting each other. He was convinced that the sudden interest that they had shown in fighting Nobunaga was his sisters doing. Therefore, he felt no guilt about killing them. After all they were dead. It must have been their time. Now the playing field had been tipped in Nobunaga's favor. The successors of Kenshin and Shingen were not great warriors. With Nobunaga's competent generals, both clans were vulnerable. Nobunaga was near the conquest of Japan He was already moving against the Mori and Uesegi. Soon he would able to take Kyushu and turn on the Hojo. Soosanoo knew that he would have to careful at this stage. The book clearly showed Nobunaga's life line ending before he united Japan. Yet he could not resist tweaking his sister just a little more. The Takeda had been swept away. Takeda Katsuyori had lost Takatenjin to Tokugawa in 1581 and his army was destroyed at by the combined armies of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu at Temmokuzan in 1582, after which Katsuyori and his son Nobukatsu committed suicide. Hideyoshi who had taken Miki Castle in 1580 and Tottori Castle in 1581 was being sent against the Mori at Takamatsu Castle in Bingo. Akechi Mitsuhide was to be sent to assist Hideyoshi who was having difficulties in the siege of Takamatsu Castle. Niwa Nagahide prepared for an invasion of Shikoku. Nobunaga himself would soon move with his demon to rid himself of the threat from the Echigo Province and the Uesegi. They had already forced the Uesegi from Etchu.

Nobunaga stared at the severed head of Takeda Katsuyori. He would have it stuffed and mounted on his wall. It had taken so long to rid himself of the Takeda, but it had been worth it. Takeda and his son had been forced to commit seppaku. Now Takeda was no longer a rival. He was simply a trophy to be mounted with his many enemies. In the midst of his success he begin to have bad dreams. In his dreams the demon would turn on him. The head that the demon held in his hands was his own. The location of his death was veiled. But he could feel the threat. It stuck in his throat. The dreams had started just after the death of Takeda. He had tried everythingto stop them. Sleeping powders. Spells from priests. Spells from monks. Fortune tellers had told nothing. His future appeared to be clouded, just when it should be showing him in triumph as the supreme ruler of Japan. Hideyoshi still wanted more troops. He would dispatch . Akechi Mitsuhide to assist Hideyoshi who was having difficulties in the siege of Takamatsu Castle Something about that name seemed so familiar. There was a foreboding about that one. If he was sent away then Nobunaga would not have to worry. He had rid himself of his enemies in Kyoto Kyoto would a good place to celebrate his triumph over the Takeda. He would leave Shibata Katsuie to guard the border with the Uesegi until he had finished in the West with the Mori. If Hideyoshi could not finish them, he would have to personally take charge of the situation.

Inuyasha stewed. He needed more blood. They served him up some nice monks in Kaga and Mount Koya. He had hunted down the Ishiyama Honganji surviors. But now they were only a few Ikko Ikki remaining The nobles were allowed to escape. Always there were the bloodless surrenders. He had been promised the rebels of Iga, but they had been allowed to submit. The supporters of Takeda Katsuyori had deserted him. Inuyasha had wanted his blood. Instead, he was allowed to commit seppaku with his son. There was no blood. No satisfaction. Why had he not been allowed to go with Hideyoshi against the Mori. His speciality was destroying castle and killing the survivors. He should have been at Takamatsu with Tokugawa. At least there he could have some tasty humans. As it was he had gone months without a kill. He needed something or someone to slaughter to sate his hunger. Maybe just a few of the weak and sick ones. If he did not get blood soon, his masters might have to do.

Sesshoumaru gazed at Nagasaki. The port was firmly in the hands of the foreigners. They seemed to pouring into the country like ants on a dead carcasses. The Otamo had already converted to Christianity. Their power was waning as they came under pressure from the Shmazu of Satsuma. He had never interfered in the affairs of humanity. Should he do so now to stem the tide against the kami? What did he owe them? Kagome seemed to think that there was nothing to worry about. She seemed so confident that history would work itself out. He was her happily ever after and she could foresee no event which could possibly change that.

The dreams had changed. Now inserted into those dreams was a mighty demon lord sweeping up from the south destroying all human both foreign and Japanese in his path. In the dream he was a mighty dog standing hundreds of feet high. After he had take Kyushu and driven out the foreigners and their priests he would sweep through the Mori lands. The dream always ended with a lifeless Nobunaga in the mouth of a monstrous white dog. He had been told that the white dog was real form of the demon, Sesshoumaru whose realm was in Kyushu. How would he deal with such a menace. He was sure that now of the weapons of the foreigners could bring down the demon. No priest or monk would assist him in taming the demon. Demons. Demons. He was plagued by demons. They haunted his dreams in the moment of his greatest triumph. His troops were gone now on campaign. All he had were his body guards from his house in Kyoto. Somehow he must rid himself of the demons that haunted his dreams before they came for him. It was clear to him now that Inuyasha must be sent away. Nobunaga could finish the task of conquering Japan without his assistance. He would go west with the rest of troops. Soon everything in south would his. Kyushu would fall after that. There would be no place for Sesshoumaru to run. When he reached Kyushu he would arrive as the savior of the Otomo against the Shimazu. They would all submit eventually. Still the problem of Inuyasha and Sesshouamru presented itself. He would have to find a solution to the problem that the dreams presented. Surely, the gods would not allow demons to steal his victory from him. He would simply have to find a creative solution to his problems.

Akechi Mitsuhide was having dreams too. He had been ordered to assist Hideyoshi against the Mori In a few days he would march south for his lord. Nobunaga would follow a few days after that to oversee the campaign. In his dream his mother called out for vengeance. She had killed by the Hatano. But it was not the Hatano that she called out for vengeance against. The Hatano had killed his mother. They did so in revenge after Nobunaga three years earlier had ordered Hatano Hideharu after Akechi had obtained his surrender by offering him peace. Now his mother cried out for the blood of Nobunaga whose acts had led to her death. Nobunaga was all alone except for a few bodyguards and the demon. If he turned his troops on Nobunaga perhaps he could avenge his mother and give her peace. His honor had been destroyed when Nobunaga violated the terms of the peace accord that he had negotiated. He did not blame the Hatano for killing his mother. Nobunaga had besmirched his honor. As a result his mother was killed. Her ghost cried for vengeance. Soon, mother, soon. His honor would restored and his mother would have peace.

Amaterasu looked at the humans as they struggled like ants. They were so insignificant, so easy to manipulate. The dreams were working perfectly. Nobunaga had sent all of his soldiers away. He was unprotected and vulnerable. Just a few more dreams about what Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha might do might force him to send Inuyasha away. When he did, they could be dealt with separately. Things were going smoothly. Soon history would flow exactly as Book of Life should that it should before her brother started interfering. Pleased with herself, she decided to send a dream to Inuyasha to push him in the right direction and convince Nobunaga that Inuyasha was a danger to him.

Inuyasha dreamed. In his dream, Nobunaga plotted against him. His master wanted him dead. Somehow, Nobunaga was conspiring to send him to his death. He must get away from Nobunaga or his master would be the death. An alternative plan entered his head. Suppose he were to kill Nobunaga. Then he would have no master. He could go where ever he wanted to and kill whomever he pleased. Aimlessly, he wandered in his sleep. Somehow, he found himself in Nobunaga's chamber. So close. Just one swipe of his claws and the master would be dead, the dreams would end. When Inuyasha awoke he was standing over Nobunaga's bed, his claws unsheathed.

Nobunaga had been dreaming again. This time both dreams came at him at once. Both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were cutting him up, bathing themselves in his blood. One would cut while the other would drink the blood. He seem to have a never ending supply of blood and the demons showed no signs that their thirst for his blood was being slaked. Suddenly, he awoke Hestared at the demon at his bedside with his claws drawn. He called for the guards.

Inuyasha awoke. Where was he? Why was Nobunaga cowering in fear from him? Nobunaga was trying to kill him in his dream. It was all a dream, was it not. His master would never harm him. There had to some mistake. He looked at Nobunaga quizzically for an explanation. None was forthcoming..


	23. The Road to Damascus

Nobunaga sat in the seat in Gifu where he presided over the many provinces that he ruled. The Uesugi and the Takeda clans were no longer threats to him. The provinces which they ruled as daimyo were now firmly in his grasp.

He gazed at the map of Japan. The way to the north was now open. He did not need to hurry. There were no worthy rivals there. Now that the Uesugi and Takeda no longer posed a threat, he could finally assist Tokugawa in dealing with the Hojo. He would send Hideyoshi to attack the Morii. There remained Kyushu.

Kyushu was a mixed blessing. He worked well with its Christian daiymo. Together they had worked toward the establishment of the Portugese trading center at Nagasaki. The hinderance had been Sesshoumaru. It is clear that the tai-youkai did not want to cede his domain either to the gaijin, the Christian daiymo or to Nobunaga. He wondered if Sesshoumaru had ever received the scroll which he had sent to him eleven years ago. No response had ever been received to his threat to the Lord of the West. There had been rumors that Sesshoumaru had been seen within the vicinity of Gifu. As a result he had kept Inuyasha at his sides at all times. He was confident that that the transformed and subjugated demon could defeat the tai-youkai.

The dreams about Inuyasha troubled him. In the dreams Inuyasha turned on him and killed him.He had awakened in a sweat from the nightmares for several weeks now. His fortune teller hadseen a death card when telling his fortune. Statutes of Amaterasu had supposedly been seen weeping at her shrines in Kyoto. No one could tell him what it meant or what he should do.It was clear that he needed to make a decision. The battle for Japan was nearly over. Inuyasha was no longer needed. The time had come to part ways with the demon. But how to do it.

An idea began to form in Nobunaga's head. Where it had come from he did not know. All he knew was it pleased him He could send Inuyasha after Sesshoumaru. With any luck they would kill each other. If Inuyasha killed Sesshoumaru the problem on Kyushu would be solved. If Sesshoumaru killed Inuyasha the fears that his nightmares had engendered would assuaged. If they killed each other it would solve all of his problems. Feeling pleased with himself he summoned Inuyasha before him When the demon came in response to his summons, Nobunaga spoke to him. " Inuyasha, I wish you to kill your brother, Sesshoumaru You will find him at his castle in Kyushu. Do not return to me until you have finished this task."

Inuyasha had never been more happy in his life. At last he would be able to kill the one person who had caused so much grief in his life. He nodded to Nobunaga, " Yes, master.your will shall be carried out."

With the assignment being made, Inuyasha left to carry it out. Nobunaga stared after him. Something nagged at him. Was there something that he had missed.? It had seemed so perfect this morning. Were the dreams misleading him? There was nothing he could do now. His armieswere already prepared to go into the field against the Morii and the Hojo. He had committed Inuyasha against Sesshoumaru. The die had been cast. The rest was up to the will of the kami.

Amaterasu found one she wanted waiting for her in the land of the dead. " Sit, dog, I have a task for you to perform." The creature was once the Inu no Tashio blinked as the radiance of her being illuminated the darkness that cloaked this part of the underworld.

" What do you want? A dog needs his 5000 years of beauty sleep "

" I have come to release from this realm to complete a task for me."

" Why should I want to do anything for a kami? What have they ever done for me?"

" Would you like to save your sons, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. They are on a collision coursethanks to a human warlord named Nobunaga. The kami do not want this battle to occur. We are uncertain of the result. If Inuyasha were to win and kill Sesshoumaru, the balance would be broken. I know you do not care what happens to the kami, but I know that you care for your sons We could see it in your eyes when your sons were able to defeat So'ounga and seal it in hell. It was because your sons completed that task that we allowed you to appear to them. I knowthat the appearance left all of you frustrated, but normally we cannot allow the dead to interferewith the living. Our present task is too important to worry about the rules of life and death. It is for that reason that I am here in the underworld. I have come to retrieve so that you may stop your son, Inuyasha from fighting Sesshoumaru."

Toga pondered these words and replied. " If I agree to do this what will you do for me."

"We have decided that your punishment for marrying a mortal and interfering with our plans is complete. We will allow you to be reincarnated in a new form. If you refuse, you can stay forever in the underworld for all we care."

That response made it easy for Toga. Whatever, the kami had planned for him, it could not be any worse than the hell he was in right now. He had never been told why he had been killed and banished to hell. Now he knew that his time with Izayoi and the subsequent birth of Inuyasha had been contrary to the will of the kami. Damn the bastards for interfering with his life. He was half a mind to allow to be replaced as the gods of Japan for what they done to him. The only thing that restrained them was his love of Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. The kami were good at manipulation. They knew that he would not allow his sons to fight to the death. Especially since one of the sons was being manipulated and controlled. He decided to accept the offer.

" Tell me what I must do."

Inuyasha bounded down the road to Kyushu. There was spring in his step. The leash was longer this time. The Master had sent no one to watch over him. The task was one that he actually cared about and would relish completing. The truth is he had always hated his brother. From the moment he had been born and his brother did not intervene to save himself and his parents to the last time he had seen him when he had mated with the woman he loved. It would be a pleasure killing the Lord of the West and seeing him brought down. The hanyou could never kill him because he had too much affection for his brother despite what his brother had done to him.

The master had freed him from the hanyou and the human. He was no longer bound by their rulesor their morality. So long as the master provided victims for him to kill he would be happy. There was not enough blood in Japan for the way he felt. It could only be sated with the blood of those that his master asked him to kill. Sesshoumaru was the first person that he actually wanted to kill. He had wanted to kill Sesshoumaru as long as he could remember. A true demon required testing. You could only prove yourself by killing the demon who held the power that you desired That person was Sesshoumaru. He held the power of the West in his hand. He was given nothing but a sword that bound him forever from seeing the light of day. While his brother could associate with and assert power over demons and humans the hanyou was not allowed in either demon or human society while the human hid himself from sight. Part of him had escaped on three occasions after the sword broke. The woman subjugated him on the first two occasions while Sesshoumaru subjugated him on the last occasion. Now the hated woman was with Sesshoumaru.

Despite all that they had done to them the hanyou and the human would still not have harmed the woman because they still loved her. They still felt a brotherly affection towards Sesshoumaru despite all that he had done to them. He was no longer bound to them. No longer did the swordhold sway over him. It dangled at his waist as a useless appendage. He could control it and make it come to life. But it would punish him for that use. It was one with the hanyou and it preserved the hanyous's mind and soul within it. He would never go back where the sword could control. He was master, it was servant. Although it could punish him and make his hands burn.He entered a forested area just south of Kyoto. A mist began to swirl through the trees. As it was not relevant to him, he decided that it was not important. A bright light began to appear through the trees. As he ran towards the light, it appeared that flames were shooting out of the ground. surrounding the light. When he finally reached the area where the fire had been he foundthe fire was now gone and all that remained was a light so bright that even he covered his eyes he could see the light. In the middle of the light was very tall being. The mists receded. As the demon squinted to see what he faced the being raised a prism, and pointed it at his face. The demon screamed in agony his cornea were burnt in the seconds that beheld the pure sunlight emenating from the prism.He fell to the ground. The being advanced on him still holding the prism at eye level.

Inuyasha tried to rally. He lept at where he thought the being was only to find that he had overshot his target by several yards. Before he was blinded he thought the target appeared to be humanoid. He had been gazing at this person first through the mist and then through the blinding sunlight. He turned around and tried to get his bearing. Whatever the being was it had no scent. He had only the last known position of the target. The choice was now fight or flight. The demon would never flee. There was no joy in fleeing only in fighting and killing.The demon did have some survival instincts but those instincts were only good for fighting and killing. He stumbled forward. The sword seemed to calling someone, but it was not him. He knew that the sword if drawn now would not obey him. It might even control him. He would take his chances with his fangs and claws. He felt a presence directly in front of him. He leapt at it, but its leap reached him first and he tumbled over backwards. The next thing he knew a gigantic paw was on his chest preventing him from breathing while a fang tickled his throat.

The scent began to reach his brain such as it was. It was scent that he had only smelled once in his life and yet he knew the scent immediately. FATHER. What was he doing here? He had only seen his father once in his life. At that point Father had said that he had nothing more to teach them. If that was so why was he here now. He smelled like dog. His father was big f-ing dog.

"Get the f-k off me , you mangy pooch." Inuyashsa yelled. He lashed out at the canine only to have his hands batted away by some huge and nasty paws. He was still blind, but the blindness did not prevent him struggling against the hold that his father had over him.

" Behave yourself or I will punish you. The kami have promised me freedom if I prevent you from killing Sesshoumaru. They did not tell how I should do it. I think they would even besatisfied I showed them your skin. This has been much easier than I figured it would. Now just hold still."

Inuyasha could not believe that his own father was trying to collect a bounty on his own son. At the moment he could not see. He could not move. His fathers fang were at his throat. He decided to play for time.

" You know you really are a bastard. That sword has imprisoned me for 200 years. It was only by the grace of my master that I was released. I do not know what these kami want, but I can guarantee that it is not in my best interest.'

" That is not possible, son. The boy is still a hanyou. It does not matter that you have been summoned and released upon the world . You cannot simply relegate him to the sword simply because you were imprisoned by it for 200 years. You only have an independent existence due to the summoning. Your master controls all of your actions. The independence that you crave is illusory.."

"I cannot you the freedom you desire. Your only joy is in fighting and killing. Your only desire is taste the blood of your victims. I must restore you to him. Your soul gives him the strength to fight. Without you he would left to his human hopes and desires. You and he were made for much more than that. "

Inuyasha somehow wanted to believe his father that he was needed by his hanyou self. The self had forced him so deep because of his own fears and those of his friends that he was not allowed to surface. Tetsusaiga hated him. It desired contact with the hanyou with whom it could bond. It had no desire to subject to the youkai whom it could not control. The times that it summoned the youkai was when wanted to use youki of its master to generate its powers.

" What are you going to do with me?"

" I have been instructed to carry you to place where you can be healed by the kami. They did not tell me what would happen to you or to me after that happens. I have no desire to kill you. You are after all my son. I was merely to prevent you from killing Sesshoumaru. Now I think that it would easier to transport you if you were unconcious."

A giant paw slapped the side of Inuyasha's head and he fell into stupor. His father picked him up in his teeth. He became a ball of light and disappeared from the view of mortal men.


	24. The Will of the Kami

Kikyou stared down at the demon who was bound in front of her shrine. It had been over twenty years in the physical world since she had seen Inuyasha. Her body of clay and bone had dissolved in his arms as he kissed. Now here he was again at her shrine.She had been given the unenviable task of rehabilitating the hanyou. The kami were not kind.Her first meeting with Inuyasha had resulted in her death. The second time around was nobetter. The kami may have felt that this third meeting would straighten out all problems thattheir prior meetings had created for their plans.

Next to the demon was a white akita puppy fast asleep. Kikyou had to smile. The kami had unusual ways of carrying out reincarnation of souls. She had been reincarnated into a girl born500 years after she had died. They had allowed the Jewel to bring the girl back to the Sengoku Jidai. so that she could make the Jewel disappear forever. Why didn't they just tell Kikyou how to get rid of the Jewel. Instead, they had made her die over and over again.The puppy represented the ultimate joke by the kami on Inu No Taisho. The kami had promisedthat the Lord of the Dogs would be reincarnated if he stopped Inuyasha from killing Sesshoumaru. Reincarnating him as a puppy was amusing.Toga had come through. The dog had brought in Inuyasha who was singlehandedly destroying the time line set forth by the kami. He threatened to destroy the worship of the kami in Japan. The kami had decided to intervene and stop him.

Kikyou's task was to rehabilitate Inuyasha so that he could once again be the tool of the kami that he been designed for when dealing with the Jewel. She would first have to purify him in order to render him harmless. The hanyou was not in any position to oppose her at this point. She wondered how he would react to seeing her again after all of these years. She knelt down by the hanyou and placed her hands on his body. Pink purifying energy poured into the body of the demon. He shuddered and thrashed about spastically. At last she withdrew her hands and stared at a form she had never seen before. Inuyasha was human with black hair and violet eyes. This form was what she had desired for Inuyasha when she suggested that he wish on the Jewel. He was beautiful. Too bad that as a guardian kami she was limited to the grounds of her shrine. Why couldn't her wish have been granted instead of resulting in her death. It was not fair. The first time she had been a miko and he had been a hanyou, so they could not be be together without a wish on the jewel. The second time she had been dead and he had been attracted to her reincarnation. Now she was a guardian kami and he was a demon whom the kamiwished to remake into their tool

She sat down and began to pet the puppy. It licked her face. She smiled for the first time since she died. Maybe she had an attraction to dogs. She hugged it to her chest. It barked at her. Enough playing with the dog. Eventually she was going to have to face Inuyasha. Somehow she had been given the task of explaining to Inuyasha what the kami had done to him over the years. That really sucked. He would probably end up hating her when she had nothing to do with the shit that had been dumped on him over the years. She released his bonds. After she had done so she sighed and began to rouse Inuyasha. He slowly opened his eyes. He was not sure what to make of what he saw. Kikyou was sitting in front of him holding a puppy. She was surrounded by a blue glow. There was something oddly familiar about the puppy but he could not place it. He gazed at his hands. He was human again. It had been eleven years since he had last been human. Kikyou's shrine caught his eye. He had not been here in over twenty one years. Kikyou's body had dissolved . Why was she sitting in front of him of petting a puppy?Kikyou realized that Inuyasha was finally awake. She continued to pet the puppy as she began tospeak.

" Inuyasha, I am Kikyou.. I am now the guardian kami of this shrine .You were brought here by your father. He was given his reward by the kami for bringing you here by being reincarnated into this puppy you see before you. If you want him I will give him to you. Otherwise, I will release him into the village and let him fend for himself"

Inuyasha considered this option for a second and finally said. " According to Myouga , he saved me and my mother when I was born. I should probably return the favor and take care of him since he is more than a mortal dog now."

Kikyou nodded her approval and handed the dog to Inuyasha. The dog would no doubt have a calming influence on him. Anything that they could do to reach Inuyasha would be helpful. Inuyasha took the dog and began to stroke its fur. It seemed to like him He wondered if the dogwould remember him. Kagome did not seem to remember anything of her soul's previous existence as Kikyou He held the dog up to his face. It licked him. Inuyasha smiled.

"What is the dogs name.?"

" During his previous life.he had many titles. The name which was attached to him was Toga.

You certainly are not required to call him that"

"I suppose calling him Inu would be confusing. I guesses I will call him Toga."

Kikyou decided that the time had come to discuss Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, do you remember what has happened to you over the past twenty one years since the defeat of Naraku."

Inuyasha looked at her blankly. "After the battle we had a victory party. That night Kagome was mated to Sesshoumaru. They left for Kyushu to avoid a fight. I awoke the next morning anddealt with what had happened by destroying half of your village. It seemed that leaving was my only option. I joined up with Nobunaga in 1560 and stayed with him for eleven years. The last thing that I remember was being shot by Nobunaga's arquebusiers when I tried to save a friend of mine on Mt. Hiei named Miroku. The next thing I knew I was staring at you.as you held that puppy."

Kikyou sighed. She was going to have to fill in a lot of holes for Inuyasha. How would react? The kami were hoping that he would be repentant for his behavior and wish to make amends To her mind this was wishful thinking.

" Inuyasha, after Mt Hiei, your demon was released. For the last eleven years you have terrorized central Japan as the Katana of Nobunaga. When your father intercepted you, you were on your way to kill Sesshoumaru. The kami intercepted you.before you could accomplish this purpose. They were concerned that if you succeeded you would end their influence in Japan."

Inuyasha looked at her " And just why should I care whether or not the kami lose their influence in Japan. These are the same are the same kami who allowed my father and mother to be killed before I reached ten years of age. Where were they when I was trembling in fear from humans and demons who wanted to kill the little hanyou? Where were they when I finally found love with you only to let Naraku kill you and have you kill me? Where were they I struggled for a whole year to restore their Jewel and when it is restored and the evil purged they took away the woman I loved, the woman I was fighting for?

Kikyou was somewhat taken aback when Inuyasha finished. She had not expected him to be so bitter or vituperative about the kami. While she might have her own opinions about the kamishe knew that she was not allowed to express them out loud

Inuyasha continued when he saw the look on her face. "What about you, Kikyou? You are the servant of the kami and yet these kami allowed you to die horrible deaths twice. They only allowed you one moment of happiness as you were dying. And you expect me to be grateful to these beings and cooperate with them."

" I understand what you have gone through Inuyasha. We have both done horrible things in ourlives. I used the souls of young girls to animate myself. Though I was saved by Kagome and ascended in the end, the life of the guardian kami is in many ways an atonement for what I didwhile in that body of clay and bone."

" So what do I have to atone for"

Kikyou paused for a moment. She knew that kami wanted him to actually see what he had been doing for the past eleven years. Only then would he realize the horror that he inflicted upon Japan She reached over.and put her hands on his forehead. Eleven years of memories flooded into his brain in an instant. Horrible memories where he slaughtered thousands of persons both youkai and human. The killing had been indiscriminate. He had killed man, woman and child. Tetsusaiga screamed and burned his hands again and again as he forced it to assist him in killing.The blood always the blood everywhere. His body drenched in it. His claws would soaked in it until he would lick the sweet ambrosia off the steel sharpened nails. The vision overwhelmed him. He howled in agony. How could he have killed so many?When Kikyou saw the horror on his face and felt the agony in his heart she reached out and held him to her. He calmed almo st immediately. Somehow, he seemed lost and heartbroken. It almost seemed cruel of the kami to restore his memory of those events over such a short time.

He stared at her with tears running down his face. " Do I have to remember this? Can't you make me forget all that happened.. It is just too much for me to take right now."

She nodded and place her hands gently on his forehead. The tension left his body and he slumped against her in peaceful slumber. She eased his body to the ground. This process was going to bemore difficult than she imagined. Now she must await his reawakening before she could began the process of rehabilitating him to be the tool that the kami wished him to be. Finally, after several hours he awakened. She was still there playing with the puppy.

" At last you are awake. Since you have asked to forget I will grant at least one of your desires."

With Kikyou reached out and grabbed the Kotodama. The string broke. The beads and claws scattered everywhere.. To Inuyasha it felt like his heart had just been pulled out his chest and laid beating on the ground in front of him. A miko and taiyoukai were in the middle of intercourse on the island of Kyushu. The miko was about to orgasm when suddenly she felt a deep loss. It was like an old dear friend had just died. Even Kikyou, kami though she was could feel the deep pain that Inuyasha and Kagome felt at that moment.. After all, her soul had been part of Kagome's soul at the time that the Kotodama was attached

" That hurt. Why did you pull off the beads?"

" The kotodama was originally mine. I was supposed to use it to bind your heart to mine. I could not bear to do that to you. It would have restricted your freedom. I paid for my mistake with my life. Naraku could not have killed me if you had been wearing the beads that day. My sister found the beads after I died and retained them until Kagome arrived. When Kagome activated them, they carried out the purpose that the kami had intended. They allowed Kagome to control you, they allowed you to go to her world and most importantly they created a bond between the two of you. It was that bond that you felt breaking right now. The kami wanted to bond you to Kagome so that you would love and protect her. Now that the beads are gone only the memory of the bond remains. The kami wanted the bond removed because it creates problems. They brought Kagome into this world to destroy the jewel. When that task was complete they bound her to the taiyoukai. You were only to bonded to her for so long as the two of you were searching for the jewel. Once the quest was the bond was supposed to end. She should have released you before she went off with Sesshoumaru. Instead, her mating with Sesshoumaru while she was drunk on the night of the victory party had interfered with the kamis plans. If you had been properly unbounded from her, you would not feel the agony that her betrayal makes you feel. All that happened to you with Nobunaga was unnecessary and unintended. Your feeling towards Kagome should began to fade. Soon all that you will feel is a dull ache when you think of her. This is the will of the kami. This is what was intended. I am sorry that things got out of hand. I have had no control of things since I died and ascended to be the guardian kami of this shrine. My influence now reaches only to the borders of the shrine..

Inuyasha began to digest all that Kikyou said to him. All of it was a lie. The kami had manipulated him in order to obtain his help for Kagome in her task of destroying the jewel. They had intended him for Kikyou but she had not done what they asked and had paid the price.How could he ever believe in the future that his feelings for anyone were genuine when they had been manipulated in the past. He gazed at Kikyou. Did he still love her? Had he ever loved her or was that a lie the kami used to manipulate him. While Inuyasha was staring at her, Kikyou snapped an amulet on his wrist

"What did you do that for, bitch. I had just began to believe that you were my only friend and then you go and do this to me. Are you going to control me, just like they did. Do you want me to love you. I already do. I do not need any of the damned kami witchery"

Kikyou who was touched by his reply hesitated at first but then spoke to him."Inuyasha, as you have guessed the amulet attached to your wrist is a binding device which binds you to me. It was placed on you at the direction of the kami. The bond is not a bond of affection, it is a bond of support and power from me to you. It will control your demon. The kami will not allow your demon to control you like it has for the past eleven years. The amulet will allow to draw on the power of your demon without allowing it to control you. It will keep you calm when you become angry. You will be able to draw on some of my powers to assist you. Since I cannot leave the shrine to be with you on your ventures into the world, I am giving you a piece of myself in the form of this amulet. The only benefit I get from the exchange is that I will be able to assist you in the future and the amulet will allow me to know what you are feeling at the moment though I will not know why you are feeling that way since it does not read your mind only your heart."

Inuyasha was somewhat taken aback by her reply. It was clear that Kikyou had put much of herself into the amulet. She knew that she could not assist him directly with whatever the kami had planned for him so she put her power into an object to assist. He was so overwhelmed that he reached out and hugged her. For a moment he gazed into her eyes and then he bent down and gave her a kiss. The kiss was much different that the ones he had given her when he was a hanyou and she was an undead creature made up of clay and bone. She was now a kami and he was human at the moment. It was hard for him to tell if what he was touching was substantial or not.

Her lips were soft and pliable and yield to the touch of his mouth. They even opened to allow his tongue to enter and probe the inner recesses of her mouth. Something in his soul flamed with desire, his youkai burst forth from its human shell. He needed her at this moment in time she was his lifeline to hold onto to keep him from drowning.

Kikyou thought that when she had discarded physical body she had discarded all physical desire. Apparently was not true. The more Inuyasha gave to her the more of him she wanted. She wantedhim to touch every part of her body, substantial or not. The wants and desire of two lifetimes burst forth.

His youkai desire and her lusts combined in what could only be described as magical meeting of youkai and kami. The blue luster surrounding her flamed as the dark red lines of his youkai wound around her. To the nonyoukai or kami observer it would have seemed that there were blue and red lights surrounding the shrine. Their clothes were strewn on the ground and the puppy was left to its own devices.

Inuyasha enjoyed pleasures that had always forbidden heretofore. He suckled at her breasts. He enflamed her when he ventured into her lower regions. When their lusts had reached their highest point he mounted her and rode her until they reached their height of passion and fell exhausted onto each other. Whatever happened to them in future, they would always have this moment which had been denied to them for so long and for which they had suffered so much.They dressed in silence. When they were both fully clothed again, Kikyou spoke.

"Inuyasha, The kami have a task for you to complete as the beginning of your atonement. They wish you to go to Kyoto and kill Nobunaga. You must return here when you are done with a token to show that you have completed your task. It was you that made him powerful. It is you that must bring him done to atone for your sins. Your youkai has been restored to you, but youwill remain under control so long as you have my amulet on your wrist. The amulet will also protect you against purification except from me or other kami."

With these words Kikyou hugged her lover like she never wanted to let him go. He gazed at her longingly when suddenly the dog began nipping at his heals.Kikyou laughed " I will watch over him until you return."

With that Inuyasha turned and bounded towards Kyoto. Kikyou watched him until he disappeared from sight. She sighed. A voice behind her said " Someday my daughter, you will be rewarded for your efforts." But Kikyou knew it was a lie.


	25. Vengeance

Amaterasu did a happy dance. The sky shook and woke up the god of storms. Soosanoo gazed at his sister. Maybe all of those years of being in charge had finally gotten to her. Or maybe something was about to happen on earth that would make her happy. He gazed at the pieces spread about Japan. Something was going on. Surely, it had to do with Nobunaga. There is only one thing at this point that could make her happy. The death of Nobunaga. He examined the players again. The hanyou was running from Edo toward Kyoto. What had he been doing in Edo? Those were Hojo lands. Nobunaga was not at war with the Hojo so what was he doing there.

That must be investigated. Hideyoshi who was at Takamatsu Castle . Shibata Katsuie was guarding the border with the Uesegi. Why was Akechi Mitsuhide hanging around Kyoto when he was supposed to helping Hideyoshi? His board was still not clear to send dreams. Only one person could be get away with this kind of tampering. He had two choices. Either he could investigate the hanyou or Akechi Mitsuhide. The hanyou was always more interesting. Soosanoo had been maneuvering him for years. Surely, he was good for a few more laughs. Something about Akechi Mitsuhide bothered him. There was a passage about him in the Book of Life. He would have ten days of fame. Soosanoo simply could not remember why he was so important. So he went to back to his game of hanyou harassment.

Amaterasu kept an eye on her brother. Somehow her antics had alerted him to the arrangement of the pieces on the board. It was clear that he did not know what was going on. She had managed to get the hanyou out of the hands of Nobunaga and under her control without Soosanoo even noticing. Either she was clever or he was an idiot. Maybe a little of both. Akechi Mitsuhide was in place to force Nobunaga to surrender. He would think that it was all his own doing. Two weeks from now. The little man would be dead. He was a pawn no more. Once he had forced Nobunaga's surrender with his treason all hell would break loose. Nobunaga's sons would battle for power. Hideyoshi would run to Kyoto to kill Akechi Mitsuhide. Tokugawa would finally be free of Nobunaga and able to build his own empire not simply assist Nobunaga. The threat to the kami would finally be crushed once and for all by Hideyoshi and Tokugawa. Amaterasu could sleep easier knowing everything would come to pass just as it had been written in the Book of Life.

Nobunaga felt a sense of unease.. Here he was in the safest place in Japan. Yet somehow he had a premonition of doom. He had received no dreams of warning. The fortunetellers had not foretold anything ominous for this day. He would stay at Honno--ji, a temple in Kyoto. Surely, no one would attack in a temple. There had been no word from the demon. Hideyoshi reported that he had gone south towards Kyushu. Maybe no news was good news. The demon needed to be killed. He was out of control. The sight of him hovering Nobunaga's bed ready to strike with his fangs and claws had triggered Nobunaga's sending him to face Sesshoumaru. One or both them could die and rid him of his demon problem forever. Hideyoshi was still asking for more men to fight the Mori. Had he not sent Akechi Mitsuhide to assist him? Surely, that would be enough. He would join Hideyoshi in a few days after they had taken the castle. Together they would move to the Chu-goku region. The Mori would finished and way would be open to Kyushu. He would intervene on the side of Otamo who were under assault by the Shizamu. After he had secured the West, he would return to the north. With the assistance of Tokugawa he would sweep the Hojo and the Uesugi before him.

Inuyasha was traveling as fast as he could. It would take him almost a three days to travel to Kyoto from Edo (229 miles as the crow flies). He would keep to the treetops to avoid troops on the road. The desire to kill humans was no longer in him. The sooner he was done with this trip the better. Kikyou had given him no hint as to what he would face in killing Nobunaga. He knew now that the gods had convinced Nobunaga to send Inuyasha away so that he would stripped of his protector. How ironic that same protector was now being forced to carry out the mission of the executing Nobunaga. He had no interest in the reasons that the kami wanted Nobunaga dead. Vengeance was his reason. Nobunaga had taken his trust and imprisoned him for eleven years. He had loosed the part of Inuyasha that should forever be hidden within the sword. Tetsusaiga would barely speak to him now. He understood the horror that it felt. It was designed to protect humans. The demon had forced it to kill innocent woman and children against its will. He could still feel the residual charring on his hands from Tetssusaiga's attempts to break free from the demon's will. When he was done with Nobunaga, he could return to Kikyou and start his life over.

Soosanoo had found the hanyou flying over the treetops. Where was he going at such a high speed? In all his time observing the hanyou he had never seen him move this fast. It was as if the hell hounds themselves were on his heels. What could he do about the hanyou? He needed some way to slow him down so that he could talk to him. It began to storm around Inuyasha. The rains and hail pelted him. Twice he was hit with bolts of lightning. Still he struggled. Soon the rain was so heavy he no longer could tell where he was going. He had been hoping to reach Gifu, but at the moment he had no clue as to where he was. Ahead he noticed a light. He would have to stop for the night. Nobunaga would have to wait until tomorrow.

Amaterasu. noticed the storm over Inuyasha's flight path to Kyoto. Only her brother had the gall to interfere with her plans. She noticed that the hanyou was aiming towards a light which appeared out of nowhere. This was not good. She would have to go on and take Inuyasha out of her brother's hands directly before he did any harm.

The light was directly in front of him. It appeared to be coming the door of a small hut. Inuyasha was glad to be out of the rain. His fire-rat was drenched. His ears were burned where the lightning strike had hit him. The odor of wet and burned dog hung on him. He could smell a human in the hut. There appeared to a fire going. It would nice to get out of the rain for the evening. He stooped to enter the hut, drawing aside the curtain covering the door frame. Inside he saw an old man sitting in front of a fire pit with a stew pot. The man motioned for him to sit down and offered stew from the pot. Inuyasha was starving as he had not eaten since he left Nobunaga. to find Sesshoumaru. Just then an old woman with a bundle of sticks on her back stumbled through the door way. Inuyasha rushed to help her out. She smiled at him as he took her pack and helped her sit by the fire.

The old man scowled at her and growled " What are you doing here, sister."

" What kind of greeting is that, dear brother. Don't you want to invite me in out of rain?"

" What rain?" he asked as the rain disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.

Inuyasha stared. What was going on here. Who were these two and why were they here?

The old man laughed. " Well, Inuyasha, I am glad to finally meet you. I feel like I have known you all your life."

The old lady hit the old man with her cane and screamed at Inuyasha " Don't listen to him. He is crazy."

Inuyasha was dumbfounded. Who the hell were these people? How did they know him? They seemed to know each other. Did they just happen to show up at the same place and the same time as him. He notice that the amulet on his wrist was glowing. What did that mean? Was it connected to these strange people? The old man interrupted his reverie.

" A yen for your thoughts. What would you say if I told you that everything you have ever done was predetermined by the kami and that you were just a puppet on string dancing at their whim."

"I would be angry." answered Inuyasha angrily.

"My sister there has a book that can tell you everything that will happen from the beginning of time to the end of time. Would you like to take a peek."

Amaterasu was furious. What was her brother's game. Why was revealing the secrets of the gods.

Inuyasha paused and stared at the amulet that was glowing and pulsing at the moment. Finally he spoke. " I would do what I have to do whether I knew the outcome or not. I have had very little choice in life. Most of my childhood was spent surviving until I met Kikyou. I thought I had a choice with her, but everything turned out to predetermined. I thought that my decision to love Kagome was my choice. Now I have discovered that I was merely a pawn in the kami's game. Since Kagome left my choices have been few. I find that the kami have been directing my actions for their amusement. I deeply resent what has happened to me. Now they force me to kill the man who enslaved me for eleven years. But I get no satisfaction from it. They have tied the woman I love to a post and force me to do their bidding again by placing this amulet on me. Any satisfaction that I get from killing Nobunaga is negated by the fact that I am doing it for the kami and not for myself. My only relief will come when I have returned to my Kikyou and get a moment's respite from the endless use of me that had gone on over the past eleven years"

Amatersu stared at the hanyou. He was playing a dangerous game Maybe she should just allow Soosanoo to kill him and allow Akechi Mitsuhide to finish Nobunaga.

"Young man. We have offered you a singular boon for your efforts and struggles. Akechi Mitsuhide will kill Nobunaga whether you existed or not. You have been offered the chance to gain some revenge for the way that Nobunaga used you over the past eleven years. Whatever you may think about us, you need us. We do not need you. Events will occur in their proper order whether you want them to or not. The kami have power over you. The amulet on your wrist binds you to Kikyou and to us. You have no choice. You will do what we want or you will die. Do you understand?'

Soosanoo intervened on behalf of the hanyou. " Don't be so harsh on the boy, sister. He has had a hard life. He has just found that most of the bad things that have happened to him in his life are as direct result of his interference in his. life. You did not even tell him that his dad spent the last two hundred years in hell because he interfered with your plans and had him as result of his bedding of Izayoi...Oops, maybe I was not supposed to say that."

Inuyasha was furious. " You mean that you sent my dad to hell just because my mom gave birth to me. What is wrong with you. That book is more important than people's lives. I have promised Kikyou that I would do your bidding. I am doing it for you or your precious book. What I am doing is for Kikyou. It is clear that the only way that I will ever get back to see her is if I do exactly what you wish me to do."

Amaterasu gazed upon him. " So be it. We will continue to allow you to carry out your mission.One slip up and both and Kikyou will wish you were dead. As for your opinion of our methods we really do not care. We do what we do. I make sure that what is written in the book of life occurs. I will not brook anymore interference from anyone, Brother. By the way my brother here is responsible for Kagome mating Sesshoumaru, you meeting Nobunaga and you becoming a demon. Not all the kami are as friendly as me. You had no place in the book of life until my brother put you there. If it had been up to me, you would never have been born. We are allowing to continue your existence only so long as you do not screw up what is supposed to happen."

The three spent the remainder of the night in silence when Inuyasha awoke the next morning they were gone. It was June 20,1582. Nobunaga had only one more day to live.

Akechi Mitsuhide spent the day preparing. He informed his troops that they would be on parade in Kyoto in the morning. They were never told of the orders that he had been given to assist

Hideyoshi. . He knew that Hideyoshi was gone to attack the Mori clan; Niwa Nagahide was preparing for an invasion of Shikoku; Takigawa Kazumasu was watching the Ho-jo- clan from Kozuke province and Shinano province; and Shibata Katsuie was preparing to invade Echigo province, the home domain of the Uesugi clan.. , Tokugawa Ieyasu was touring the Kansai region at Nobunaga's request in celebration of the demise of the Takeda clan. Nobunaga was all alone. He would never have suspected Akechi Mitsuhide. The traitor spent the night at Tamba in a session of Renga with several prominent poets, where he made clear his intentions to rebel .The poets would not betray him. He obviously though much of himself. One of the lines he spoke that night was"Toki(Time) shall now rule the realm under the sky". Nobunaga had only a dozen retainers against 18,000 of his own troops. When they arrived in Kyoto at dawn they were told that that the enemy was at Honno-ji. Nobunaga would fall and Akechi Mitsuhide would take his place.

Inuyasha awoke several hours before dawn. He knew that something was afoot in Kyoto and if he wanted to be the won who killed Nobunaga, he must hurry or Akechi Mitsuhide would do so. He must put aside everything that he had heard last night. literally fly to Kyoto. The miles flew by and soon he found himself outside the gates of Kyoto. It was place that brought back so many memories. He had secured control of shogunate for Nobunaga here. It was here that he had been imprisoned when his demon first appeared. His demon had been summoned here. He had helped Nobunaga control the city from here. This had been Nobunaga's safe house. Now it was to be his dead zone.

Nobunaga awoke early on the morning of June 21,1582. It was still dark outside, but he could hear the sound of troops moving through the streets outside the temple. The voice of Akechi Mitsuhide could be heard clearly yelling to the troops outside that the enemy was at Honno-ji. Why was Akechi Mitsuhide attacking him? He had never done anything to this man. What was he doing in Kyoto anyway. He had given orders to him to help Hideyoshi besiege the Mori. Nobunag's next thought was of his family. His eldest son Nobutada was sent to Nijo Castle in Kyoto. The the ko-taishi(heirs) were also sent away. All that remained were his page and a few retainers. There was no hope against the forces arrayed against him. He found it ironic that he would die in a Buddhist temple. Considering all of the Buddhist monks and priests he had killed he was sure that somewhere the gods of Buddhists were laughing at him. He could not understand. The visions he had received showed him conquering Japan. Now when he had just made his biggest conquest in the destruction of the Takeda Everything was to be snatched from him by a traitor whom he had no clue why he was betraying him. .It became clear to him that the kami had misled him over the years. It had all started when that hanyou had shown up. Now he was gone. Sent away to his destruction at the hands of Sesshoumaru. He wondered how he would be judged in the afterlife. Would the kami realize what he done for Japan or would spend he spend an eternity in hell for actions which he had led to believe were his destiny. The traitor would not be given the satisfaciton of seeing him surrender to him. Nobunaga ordered that his retainers were to set fire to the building. Perhaps he could escape in the smoke and confusion. But then his honor would be besmirched if he ran away. Honor was not a subject that he had worried about in a long time. He had been too worried about surviving and destroying his enemies. He gazed at the ceremonial dagger which was used for seppaku. It had never occurred to him that he would die so he did not have a death poem prepared. Only his page would be present to cut off his head after he had completed the required cuts. He assumed that his page would follow him in death At least someone was loyal to him.

The hanyou finally arrived at the temple of Honno-ji. There were flames rising from the temple and confusion reigned. No one seemed to be entering the temple. It was clear that Nobunaga was inside and that he was under assault from the troops surrounding the temple. Inuyasha did not have much time if he wanted to secure the head. He picked a spot where the troops were the thinnest and unleashed the wind scar. The five furrows of fire ripped through the temple and opened a path for the hanyou. He passed the dazed troops and entered the temple. The smoke and fire made it difficult to find Nobunaga. At last Inuyasha found the Demon King huddled with his page in a portion of the inner temple. Nobunaga looked up at him in surprise. Perhaps Nobunaga did not expect him to return from his mission to kill Sesshoumaru in Kyushu. Inuyasha knocked aside the page and grabbed hold of Nobunaga. For a moment Nobunaga actually had hope. Perhaps Inuyasha was still under his control. If he was Inuyasha could fight his way out of this situation and spirit him away. Then he saw the truth. Inuyasha was no longer his demon. The offuda binding him had been removed and been replaced by a glowing amulet on his wrist. Inuyasha was free of him. What did this mean. He had known Inuyasha for twenty-two years. Surely, their time together meant something to him. They had been together since the beginning of his efforts to unite Japan. Without Inuyasha none of this would have been possible. The hanyou motioned for him to kneel. Nobunaga knew that his time was at hand. There would be no escape from death.

Finally, Inuyasha spoke to him. " You took my honor away. You made a slave to my demon and to you. In your name I did so many despicable acts that the kami may never forgive me. I cannot never forgive you for what you made me do. You had a choice and your choice was use me and enslave me as a tool of destruction. I cannot pardon you. The kami have not forgiven you. Just as I was your tool, now I am the Kami's tool. They have ordered me to kill you. If I do not kill you they will kill me and all I hold dear and let Akechi Mitsuhide kill you. I have no more love for the kami than I have for you. I will not simply execute you. I will give you chance to reclaim your honor even though I may never have a similar opportunity. I will act as the headsman while you commit seppaku. Your honor will be restored and you will be able to meet your ancestors knowing that you died honorably. I do not need vengeance. I will not deny you honor., but I will carry out the will of the kami.

The page looked up at Inuyasha and asked " Demon, would you take my head too so that I can die with my lord. Inuyasha nodded. The pair drew their knives and prepared to make the cuts of honor. When it appeared that they were about to pass out, Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and took their heads in one cut. He had been instructed to bring only the head of Nobunaga with him as proof of the deed. The bodies were left where they were as the flames became an inferno inside the Temple . Inuyasha knew the body of Nobunaga would never be found, but that was not his problem. Somehow he needed to escape the temple and the troops surrounding it. He blasted another hole in the wall of temple and exited with a mighty leap through the hole. The temple collapsed into a pile of blazing rubble. All the observers kami, demon and human were satisfied that Nobunaga. was dead.

Amaterasu was overjoyed. The human she had feared most in the world was dead. She had already discussed his case with King Enma.. Nobunaga's soul would not be reincarnated for a long time. She hated owing favors to Buddhist gods, but just this once she wanted to make sure that Nobunaga was where she had put him. With Nobunaga safely in hell, she could afford to take a day off and let events take their course. That day, June 21,1582 became known as the sunless day.

Soosanoo surveyed the wreckage. Akechi Mitsuhide had already seize Nijo Castle and forced , Nobunaga's eldest son Nobutada to commit seppaku. It was remarkable that Akechi Mitsuhide 's troops stayed so loyal to him after what he had done. The man was already gathering allies. His couriers would have to be stopped. Hideyoshi and the remaining commanders would have to be warned. Tonight would be a busy night on the dream front. Hideyoshi needed to come to Kyoto and kill his sister's tool. Tokugawa needed to be kept out of this fray at all costs. He was the future. The kami could not afford to lose him. He gazed at the sunless sky. It appeared that his sister had decided to take the day off. And so the news of Nobunaga's death traveled throughout Japan like wildfire.

Hideyoshi would make peace with the Mori by arranging the surrender of Takematsu. He would march towards the capitol gathering in Niwa Nagahide and Oda Nobutaka in Sakai along the way. In ten days Hideyoshi reached Kyoto. He routed. Akechi Mitsuhide at the battle of Yamazaki on July 2,1582. less than two weeks after the assassination. Akechi Mitsuhide was killed before he could flee to his castle. Hideyoshi was now firmly in control with an army of over 40,000 men. He would destroy the Akechi clan at the Battle of Uchidehama.

Tokugawa who had been at Sakai avoided the battle by fleeing to Ise and returned to his home province of Mikawa by sea. By the time he returned Hideyoshi would be firmly in control of the majority of the Kanto. Tokugawa did manage to seize control of the old Takeda homelands of Shinano and Kai and negotiated a peace with the Hojo. He was now in his strongest position ever and was prepared to enter the civil war when the pretenders had been weeded out by Hideyoshi.

All of this was irrelevant to Inuyasha. He no longer cared about the machinations of the kami and the daiymo. Nobunag was dead. At the end ,at least he had his honor restored . Inuyasha's only thoughts were of returning with the head to Kikyou. She had told him that the kami were weighing his future. Upon his return, he would learn what it was that they required from him to atone for his sins. Running mostly at night and sticking to the treetops he was able to reach Kikyou's village in a few days. He finally arrived in the early morning after running for four nights The distance did not seem that far when he knew that his love awaited him at the end of the journey.He threw the head down on the ground in front of the little shrine and waited. Kikyou was watching him when a visitor arrived. It was hard to mistake Amaterasu. Kikyou had never met her. She was too far down the list of kami to meet the queen of the gods. Why was she here?

"Kikyou, you have done well. Inuyasha has completed his first task. His next task is very important. He must guard the children of his brother and sister-in-law at the Western Shiro. The kami have plans for them which must not be upset. Hideyoshi and Tokugawa will be coming to Kyushu soon. Inuyasha knows them both. He must ensure that they conquer Kyushu and drive out the gai-jin and their foreign kami. Hideyoshi and Tokugawa will unify Japan and end the blood shed. It is up to Inuyasha to see that Sesshoumaru does not interfere with the conquest of Kyushu. The youkai must restrict themselves to their castles. This is the age of men. Sesshoumaru must know that men must rule now. The time of his kind has past and it will neverreturn. "

"How long will it take to complete this task."

"In human years the task will take about twenty five years. When he is done, I will leave instructions on his next task with you."

With those words, the sun goddess departed in a blaze of glory leaving the distraught former miko in her wake. Kikyou gradually gathered her dignity and ventured forth to meet Inuyasha.

"Greetings, Inuyasha. I see that you have completed the task assigned by the Kami. The head will be delivered to them. The Kami have more tasks for you. You are to protect the children of yourbrother and his wife. Sesshoumaru must be convinced that Hideyoshi and Tokugawa are the wayof the future. The Kami will veil the Western Shiro so that no man can find it. They will hide the youkai from humanity. In return they demand that the youkai not interfere with the world of youkai. Otherwise, the Kami will allow humans to hunt down all of the youkai with their guns. Sesshoumaru must choose. You must ensure that he chooses wisely. Otherwise, you will never be released from service to the Kami"

Inuyasha grabbed by the hands and pulled her to him " I do not care what they want me to do. Iwill only be happy if I can be with you."

Kikyou gazed into those beautiful golden eyes which she had adored for so long. She knew at this moment she could not resist him. The lust in his eyes melted all of her resolve. Kami or not she wanted him Amaterasu be damned. She had been denied Inuyasha twice., she would not be denied. The youkai and Kami lights again lit up the hilltop shrine. The mating was glorious as Inuyasha took her again and again until the sun began to rise. Kikyou made a decision. She knew that it would twenty five years before she would see Inuyasha again.. She wanted a piece of Inuyasha. As Inuyasha came for the last time into her, she captured his demon seed with her Kami spirit. She would produce a new life from their combined spirits. This spirit would be hers to cherish while Inuyasha could not be by her side. It would always remind her of the love that waited for her. She would have to hide it somehow from the Kami. They certainly not approve of what she had done without their permission. But as she basked in the glow of her demon lover, she did not care. Somehow, she needed something to remember him until they met again..


	26. Anger Management

Sighing audibly, he set out from Kyoto. It seemed like so long ago that he had set out from Kyoto the road to Kyushu. That journey seemed almost a lifetime ago. So much had happened since.that day. He had never completed the journey he had begun that day. Roadblocks had been placed in his path by the kami. His life had been restored. It was still not his own. The kami seemed to think that his life belonged to them. It was something he was going to have to deal with down the road.

His encounter with his father, Kikyou and Nobunaga had freed him from the hold that Nobunga had held him over him for twenty years. It did not free from the tremendous guilt for the harm that he had caused while he had been in the service of Nobunaga. When he closed their eyes he could see their faces. In his dreams they called out to him to save them. He wondered whether they would ever go away.

Now that his adventure with Nobunaga was at an end, his mind returned to a place that it had not visited for over twenty years. He had sought out Nobunaga to avoid dealing with the fact that his brother and Kagome had mated. That had been an ill fated adventure. Now that the kami had given him the task of protecting his brother, Kagome and their family he had no choice, but to deal with them.

He had been on his way to Kyushu to deal with Sesshoumaru on behalf of Nobunaga when the kami had intervened. During that trip he had still been under the control of Nobunaga. He wasglad that the kami had not allowed him to complete this task.. Nobunaga had become uneasy about him. Perhaps Noubnaga had ordered him to attack Sesshoumaru to rid himself of his two biggest irritants: Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru.

The mission had backfired. Nobunaga was dead. He was free of the spell which had allowedNobunaga to control him. But he was not free. The kami had given a task. He was bound tothem now by the amulet on his arm.

He gazed at the talisman and smiled. Kikyou's calming presence could be felt through the amulet. It was amazing how much it eased the pain and anger that he had felt over the past twenty some years. Power flowed from the bracelet into him. He would need all of Kikyou's strength when he met Sesshoumaru.

What would happen when they met? They had not seen each other in over twenty some years.Inuyasha knew that Sesshoumaru was aware of what he had done for Nobunaga. He hadsmell the tai-youkais presence both at Gifu and Kyoto. Nobunaga had not hated Sesshoumaruper se. He was just interfering with the plans of Nobunaga to conquer Japan and the plans of the gaijin to establish a presence in Kyushu.

Just another diplomatic problem to be solved by arms.That had been Nobunaga's motto. "Spread militarism throughout the land."He was glad to be out of Kyoto. Now that Nobunaga was dead, his sandal bearer and the man now called Tokugawa could be expected to pick up where their master had left off. They might succeed where Nobunaga had failed. All of the schemes and plans of his former master were done. He could now move on to the task assigned to him by the kami.

When Kikyou had removed the kotodama from around his neck, it had felt like his heart had been ripped out. At that moment he had hated Kikyou more than at any time since she had sealed him to a tree. The bond that he had felt for Kagome since she had come to his world had been broken. All he felt now when he thought about Kagome was an empty feeling where the bond had once been.

He now understood how necessary the removal of the kotodama had been. Much of the anger he had felt towards Kagome and Sesshoumaru had been based on the anger that he felt towards Kagome. He felt that she had betrayed the bond between them. With the removal of the bond the anger had faded somewhat.

The amulet again pulsed. It would pulse every time he needed his anger and his youkai to be calmed. The angry youkai which had loosed for eleven years had at last been restrained by the amulet. It let him use the power of the youkai without allowing it to control him.

The question remained how would be greeted Sesshoumaru? Would he allow him to serve and protect as kami desired? Sesshoumaru might wonder if Inuyasha still desired Kagome.He might know that Inuyasha had been sent to kill Sesshoumaru. Would the old feelings of hate resurface? He was fairly sure that he would not be the one to initiate hostilities. In order to fulfill the kamis duty, Sesshoumaru would have to trust him with the safety of his family. Trust had been in very short supply.

He would just have to play it by ear. He would offer his service to Sesshoumaru. He could not force Sesshoumaru to accept. After that it would simply be a matter of following Sesshoumaru's orders as best he could.

When he had been dealing with Kikyou's death, Kagome had tried to help him deal with grief. She had told him about how people went through five stages in dealing with grief:

1. Denial 2. Anger: 3. Bargaining: 4. Depression: 5. Acceptance:

He had been through all of the other stages. They had sent him on him on path to hell. He needed to accept Kagome and Sesshomaru's relationship so that he could get on with his life.


	27. Inu Goya

Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much-Oscar Wilde

He stood outside the gate of the Western Shiro with Toga in the rain. He had been announced by the guards the question was if his brother would open the gate.. The akita was in fine spirits. It made him smile to see the dog so happy. The dog did not have to face his brother or his sister-in-law. Inuyasha had put this day off for twenty two years fighting for Nobunaga. That decision had made the all of the problems which the brothers had to that point seem trivial in comparison.

Sesshoumaru had put a price on Inuyasha's head. Inuyasha had been sent to kill Sesshoumaru.All of this was added to the hate that the two had for each other since Inuyasha had been bornSesshoumaru had hated Inuyasha because his father had died protecting Inuyasha when Inuyasha had been born. It was this event which had deprived him of the power of his father and his father's sword. Even though he was the Lord of the West and with Bakusaiga he was much more powerful than his father, he still resented his little brother for what he had been put through to reach that point. Inuyasha hated Sesshoumaru because he had not been allowed to be raised inthe Western Shiro as his father had wished. Instead he and his mother were left to the kindness of their human relatives. This kindness ended when his mother died. Inuyasha was sent out into the wilds to survive on his own. Again he blamed Sesshoumaru. Although his hatred would not allow to kill his brother, it had grown when Sesshoumaru had tried to take Tetsusaiga from him.

It had seemed that the brothers would finally bury the hatchet when Naraku was killed. None of them had anticipated what would happen the night of the Victory Party. After that their separation was complete And here yet Inuyasha was at the gate of the Western Shiro, a place where he had never been before asking admittance to a place he had never been to before. The Western Shiro was in fact a hidden castle, the location of which was kept from human eyes. The kami had seen fit to have Kikyou impart the location of the castle to Inuyasha.The releasing of the bond of the kotodama meant that he no longer had the deep bond of love that he had felt for Kagome. It no longer bothered him that Sesshoumaru and Kagome had mated. He remembered that he had once loved Kagome and that Kagome had once loved him, but all he had were memories which were over twenty years old and had faded when the bond had been removed. Maybe there were still a few feelings. He noticed that the amulet was pulsing. Kikyou's amulet was designed to calm him. Any feelings of anger dissipated as he felt the soothing warmth of his lover wash over him. It would seem that there some advantages to the bond which Kikyou had attached to him.

At long last Jaken peeked his head over the wall. " What do you want hanyou? You are not welcome here."

Inuyasha replied " The kami have asked me to babysit the bastard's children. Tell him I want to see him now."

Jaken scurried away. Inuyasha idly wondered if he blew the front gate off with the Windscar ifhe could get his brother's attention The kami would probably not appreciate his actions. Somehow he would just have to wait to see if his brother would allow him to fulfill his mission.After a day of sitting in the rain finally his brother appeared at the wall.

"What do you want, little brother? You know that you are not welcome here. Because of you I have had to battle humans for the past 20 years. Because of you my mate cries at night becauseshe thinks she has betrayed you by being with me. Because of you I have strained relations withalmost everyone in Japan. The youkai blame me that you have killed so many youkai. The the enemies of Nobunaga blame me because you aided him in his conquests. The Buddhists blame me because you have killed so many of their warrior monks. The kami blame me because your efforts assisted the gaijin in their efforts to drive the worship of the kami from Japan. Everyone cries out for your blood. Why should I not give them satisfaction."

"Brother, every word that you have said is true. I acknowledge that I am the source of your pain. The kami are forcing me to atone for what I have done. I am bound to them by the amulet on my wrist. Just as I could not act against Nobunaga while I was bound to him, now I cannot act against the will of the kami. I am no longer bound to your mate. The kami have released from my bond to her. I no longer bear any ill will towards either of you. The kami have told me that the two of you were intended for each other and I accept that now. I am on my second task of atonement from the kami. I completed the first task by forcing Nobunaga to commit seppaku. Now I am here at the kami's request to protect you, your mate and your family. The kami seem to think that I should be your babysitter to atone for my sins. I offer myself in myself, my body and my soul and my sword in your service. I am yours to command. My lifeblood is yours to take. My sword is yours to command or take as you wish." Inuyasha finished his speech, held Tetsusaiga over his head and bowed low in front of gate.

Sesshoumaru was stunned. He had not anticipated Inuyasha offering his life to him. So many people wanted him to kill Inuyasha including himself. Kagome would never forgive him if he did He would not be able to keep such information from her. She knew him too well. Let Inuyasha stand in the rain for the rest of the day while he made a decision on what to do with him. The puppy climbed up on Inuyasha's back and began to bark at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru stared at the dog. There was something familiar about it. It was scent he not smell in two hundred twenty five years He remembered whose scent he remembered. That was impossible. Father has been dead for two hundred twenty five years. Yet, the puppy that was barking at him smelled exactly like him. Perhaps he should go examine the dog and try to determine what was going on. The children would surely like a puppy. Let Inuyasha continue to stand out in the rain. A door opened by the gate Jaken came up to the puppy and tried to pick it up. The puppy snapped at the imp.

"My lord, I am wounded. Kill the vile animal for me.Please."

"Jaken, when I asked you to bring me the dog it was not a request. You will heal. I want the dog brought to me now.

And so Jaken brought the dog to Sesshoumaru by the nape of the neck kicking, biting and barking. Sesshoumaru had to stifle a laugh. Somehow the sight of the kappa beset by the puppy was most amusing thing he had seen in sometime. Sesshoumaru examined the puppy. It was a normal dog. There was no hint of youkai in it. Yet it smelled exactly as Father had over 200 years ago. He would to ask Inuyasha if he ever invited him in. Inuyasha had offered him Tetsusaiga .

It would be best if the sword was taken from him before he entered the Western Shiro. Why was he even considering allowing the hanyou who had caused him so much pain into his home? The person had to be human or hanyou in order to pick up the sword. Only two humans now resided within the Shiro. Rin who was mated to Shippou and Kagome. These were two persons that he dared not risk so close to the hanyou. He would send Jaken out again with a robe to cover the blade so that it would not inflict pain on him. With that decision being made he took the doginto the family quarters and let the kappa retrieve the blade for him.

Jaken slowly approached Inuyasha. " I have been sent by Lord Sesshoumaru to receive your sword."

Inuyasha replied. " I will give him my sword if he accepts my service."

Jaken was unsure what to do. He could not go to back to Lord Sesshoumaru without the sword. It was equally clear that Inuyasha would only give him the sword if he told Inuyasha that Lord Sesshoumaru was accepting him into his service. Better to deceive Inuyasha now and get the sword than to have to explain to Lord Sesshoumaru why he did not obtain the sword. Inuyasha raised his head and stared at the imp. Was the imp trying to trick him? Even if he was there is nothing he could do. At this point he could not go back to the shrine unless Sesshoumaru refused his service. It was unclear what would happen then. He had offered Sesshoumaru his life he could not take that offer back. He handed Jaken the sword. Jaken grabbed it and hurried into Shiro. Both of them wondered what next.

Jaken walked into the family quarters where Sesshoumaru was talking to Kagome and their children. The children were engrossed in playing with the puppy. The puppy was obviously thrilled with the attention he was receiving from children. They were playing fetch, rub my belly and tug with the dog. Kagome loved the wonderment in their eyes. Sesshoumaru still had not told where the dog had come from, but she was used to being kept in dark by him over the years and had accepted her role as Lady of the West and mother to Sesshoumaru's heirs.

Kagome looked up when Jaken walked in. She gasped Within that cloth was Tetsusaiga the sword which had caused Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru so much grief. It had been her suggestion that caused Inuyasha to retrieve the sword from his father's grave. She had been the person that pulled from stone. It was her tears that caused Inuyasha to protect her with the sword. The sword had saved her from being buried by Sesshoumaru's poison. She wondered if the sword would still protect her since she had left Inuyasha for Sesshoumaru over twenty years ago. Why was Jaken holding Tetsusaiga ? Was Inuyasha her? All of these thoughts went racing through her head. She had been dreading seeing Inuyasha again since that day she left him over twenty yearsago. She may be the Lady of the West and mother of Sesshoumaru's children, but once she had been head over heels in love with Inuyasha. Up to the moment she had mated with Sesshoumaru she had always dreamed that she would marry Inuyasha and have his children. Those had been the dreams of a 16 year middle school graduate. Until a year ago, she had still felt a bond to Inuyasha. Then suddenly, in the middle of sex with Sesshoumaru her bond to Inuyasha had vanished. Now all she felt was a dull ache where once a deep love had flourished. She was still not sure what happened , she just knew that she did not feel what she had felt before for Inuyasha.

" Jaken, where did you get Tetsusaiga? Is Inuyasha here?"

Jaken stared at Sesshouamru. What was he supposed to do? What was supposed to say? All that came out of his mouth was a squawk Sesshoumaru stood up and took the sword from him. Why did Jaken have to be such an idiot? He should have known that Sesshoumaru did not want Kagome to know that Inuyasha was here.Her knowledge interfered with all of his plans for the hanyou. Now he could not let him stand out in the rain forever. Nor could he simply kill Inuyasha. This course had been his first thought when Inuyasha had first been announced by the guards. He thoughts were interrupted by Jakenwho had finally found his voice.

"I hope it was not a mistake, but in order to get him give up Tetsusaiga I had to tell him that you accepted his service."

His statement was met by a stony silence from both Sesshoumaru and Kagome. Sesshoumaru was angry because the idiotic imp had revealed too much. Kagome was angry because she knew that Inuyasha was somewhere nearby and Sesshoumaru was intentionally keeping him hidden from her. She did not love Inuyasha anymore. Why should he care? All she knew was that a man who used to mean the world to her and whom she was on her doorstep and the man she loved was keeping her from seeing Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru reached for Jaken and was about to thrash him when Kagome drew herself up to her full 5 foot frame and tapped on the taiyoukai's shoulder. There was not anything in this world more dangerous than an angry miko. Both Jaken and Sesshoumaru knew this and were properly in fear of her.

" Exactly when were you going to tell me that Inuyasha was here."

Sesshoumaru and Jaken stared at her dumbfounded. At last Sesshoumaru indicated that Jakenshould speak since he knew less about Inuyasha's situation.

" He showed up this morning, had spent the better part of the day asking if he could serve Lord Sesshoumaru. The puppy was with him. I brought the pup in first. Lord Sesshoumaru demanded that I get the sword from him. Inuyasha said that he would only relinquish the sword if Lord Sesshoumaru agreed that he could serve him. I thought it expedient to disarm him even though I had no authority to enter into a service agreement with Inuyasha."

When he stopped. Sesshoumaru bopped him on the head before he could do any further damage.Kagome put a hand on his shoulder to restrain him

"It is not his fault that he is only one around here that is willing to tell me the truth. Now out with it or you will sleeping with Ah-Un tonight. "

Sesshoumaru decided that it was better to give in than deal with an angry Kagome. He now understood why his brother had cowered in fear around her all the time. She may be small but she was much scarier than any youkai or oni that Sesshoumaru was acquainted with. He wondered where she got it. Maybe all women like Kagome and Mother were just plain scary. He would never cross either of them. Rin had never been mean to him. Maybe it was that he had brought her up right. Worshiping the ground he walked on. Too bad that Kagome had arrive too late to behave properly. She was to used to getting her own way and intimidating Inuyasha.

"Fine. I will go get him."

Kagome gave him a hug to show him that she appreciated what he had done. She knew that it was not easy for him to show anything but disdain to a brother he had hated all his life. It was only for her that he was even willing to talk to Inuyasha. She would make it up to him. Sesshoumaru grumbled as he walked out the front gate.. The hanyou was still in a pose of obeisance after a day in the rain. The taiyoukai grabbed by the throat and snarled at him.

"I agree to let you serve me. You will do anything I want whenever I want. Your room will be with Ah-Un. You will keep my stables clean. You will kill whom I want killed no matter who they are. You will smile for Kagome and tell her that everything is fine even if it is not. You will tell her nothing about what you have been doing for the past twenty years. Tetsusaiga ismine unless I allow you to use it in my service. You have dishonored its use and no longer deserve it. If it was up to me you would die right here and no one in Japan would mourn for your. Unfortunately, my idiot toad told Kagome that you were here so I cannot kill you right away. So now off with you to Ah-Un's quarters and clean out your stall. You can eat with them for all I care. I usually just let them eat crash so get used to roughage."

Inuyasha bit his tongue. He had known that this task of protecting Sesshoumaru and his family would not be easy.Somehow he would have to get through it. The amulet on his wrist was pulsing. At least Kikyou would always be with him to see that he made it through this trial even if they could not be together in person they could be together through the amulet.

" I hear your terms of service , Lord Sesshoumaru and will carry them out to the best of my ability"

With that Sesshoumaru tossed him against the wall. Inuyasha woke up several hours later to find Ah-Un licking his face. Oh, well maybe this wouldn't so bad after all.


	28. Brothers and Sisters

He understood that he was not allowed to leave the stables without Sesshoumaru's permission. Ah-Un was not bad company. Certainly better than the bastard or the toad.

Rin would stop on her way to ride Ah-Un. She would always bring flowers for Ah-Un. After a while she started sneaking food from the kitchen to Inuyasha. It had been twenty two years since they had seen each other.. She had certainly changed. No longer was she the waif following Sesshoumaru that Inuyasha remembered.. She had grown up. Being the only children in the Western Shiro, she and Shippou had developed a bond which blossomed into love as they grew older. She now appeared to be a woman in her twenties. It was somewhat hard to tell.

Somehow she had stopped aging. Inuyasha could tell that she was mated to Shippou. It was hard to believe that these two children now had children of their own. These things happen when you don't see someone for a quarter century. She had not lost that infectious smile that she had always had or her love of life. Inuyasha gathered that she viewed Kagome as a foster mother just as Shippou had always done. On the road she had appeared like a ragamuffin now she was dressed in the riding clothes that befit a youkai princess.

Inuyasha found it a little odd that Shippou and Rin had mated. They had grown up almost as brother and sister. Yet now they were husband and wife. Inuyasha had never had a real family.If he had he would have wanted Rin for a sister. There were no airs about her. She did not feelthat he was better than her simply because he slept in the stables with Ah-Un. It was enough that he was Sesshoumaru's brother. Therefore, he must be a good person.

They had one child Fukuko, a kitsune hanyou. who was five years old. She had brown hair and eyes. She did inherit Shippou's claws and fangs, which in kitsunes were not as noticeable as in other demons. Rin had brought her to meet Inuyasha on several occasions. Inuyasha at first thought her adorable until she began to attack Inuyasha's ears. What was about girls and the ears. Shippou had not yet begun training her, so the tricks she knew were those which were instinctive to kitsunes.

Rin had to drag Shippou down to see Inuyasha. He had not forgiven Inuyasha for deserting him after Kagome left with Sesshoumaru. The villagers had driven him out after Inuyasha had destroyed Kaede's village. Times had been hard for him. Althought Miroku and Sango took him with them when they left, he never felt at home with them. Eventually, he made his way to the Western Shiro, where Kagome welcomed him as a friend for Rin. At the time Rin had been very lonely because Sesshoumaru was showering all of his affection on Kagome. Shippou had been just the right companion. They had become partners in crime. They played tricks on everyone except Sesshoumaru. Rin refused to cross that line. Shippou made that mistake once and regretted it every since. The pranksters had slowed down when their relationship turned romantic when they reached their teen years. It had ceased completely after they got married and had a child. They were simply too busy with their baby to indulge in extracurricular activities.

If Inuyasha and Kagome had stayed together they might have treated Shippou like a son. As it was they were totally estranged from each other. They had nothing in common with each other. In fact Shippou shared Sesshoumaru's hostility toward Inuyasha. He felt that the day that Kagome mated with Sesshoumaru was the best day of her life. Sesshoumaru treated her like a princess. They lived in a castle. Sesshoumaru and Kagome loved each other and adored their children. To Shippou it was a fairy tale ending. The kitsune viewed Inuyasha as the black sheep of the family who had gotten what he deserved. He had never had any respect for Inuyasha and had always treated him with contempt. It had been hard to deal with Sesshoumaru at first.

The Lord would not suffer the insults and tricks that the kitusne had perpetrated on Inuyasha. The beatings were much more severe than anything Inuyasha had given. Kagome was too intimidated to intervene at the time. Eventually, Shippou decided to change his ways out of self preservation and fear. The fear of Sesshoumaru had always been there. He began to follow the examples set by Kagome and Rin. Sesshoumaru was willing to be tolerant so long ass the person did not antagonize him Shippou still had his pride. He was now a high level kitsune with multiple tails. It warmed him to see Inuyasha who had abused him brought low. Whereas, Rin was friendly toward Inuyasha, Shippou was scornful of Inuyasha in his position as pooper-scooper for Ah-Un. Rin did not tell Shippou that she was bringing food to the hanyou whenever she rode. Otherwise, he might have stopped her.

Inuyasha was getting restless. In order to carry out his duties for the kami, he must talk to Sesshoumaru. Their message must get through to him or will of the kami with regard to Kyushu would be thwarted. He was not sure how Sesshoumaru would respond. The kami were basically telling him that the youkai were being excluded from interfering with humans. Their castles were to be cloaked from humanity,.their movements strictly scrutinized.. Sesshoumaru had always thought of himself as an equal to the kami would he stand still and let the kami regulate his actions. It would help to have Kagome on his side. Inuyasha was not ready for a meeting with her yet. He was thankful that Sesshoumaru had put her off limits. If he was still in love with her, her proximity would have driven him insane. But the kotodama had been replaced by the amulet. No longer did he feel the bond with Kagome. Instead, the calming feelings that Kikyou gave him flowed through the amulet. It was all that was sustaining him at the moment.

Sesshoumaru stared at the map of Japan he had made based upon Kagome's history.book. There was news out of Kyoto. Nobunaga had died and Hideyoshi and Tokugawa had emerged as the leading candidates to succeed him. Sesshoumaru dismissed the sons of Nobunaga. They were being used as horses which Hideyoshi and Tokugawa rode to give themselves legitimacy. When the sons uses ended or they resisted the strings which puppetmasters pulled they were discarded. The immediate threats to his domain were the Shimazu who had take to aggressively attacking the Otamo and Hideyoshi who now controlled the Mori and stood poised to attack Kyushu when his other wars were finished. Sesshoumaru's retainers had reported an oddity. They could not longer see the castle until they entered it. Somehow the castle was being hidden from sight. His people had only been able to locate it by scent. Sesshoumaru was not sure what to make of the situation. He wondered if Inuyasha might know the reason why his castle had seemed to disappear from the landscape. It would be a blow to his pride to have to ask his idiot hanyou brother, but the situation was becoming critical and he needed to know all of the facts. He would confront the fool today and wring out every bit of knowledge which Inuyasha might have.

Jaken was ordered to have Inuyasha stripped and brought down by Sesshoumaru's guards to the lowest dungeon to be chained in that place. When he was told that the hanyou had been secured only then did he deign to approach him. Sesshoumaru swaggered into the chamber. Inuyasha had finally been brought low. The hanyou was dressed in nothing but his fundoshi. The stench pouring off him was offensive. The taiyoukai motioned for his guards to throw water on his brother. The air now smelled of wet dog. Now hewas ready to talk to his brother.

"Fool,my castle is no longer visible from the outside world. What do you know of this?"

Inuyasha raised his head. He smirked. His brother was angry. Served him right. The fool had never allowed him to deliver the message which the kami had told him to deliver. He would just as soon the bastard suffer the judgment of the kami. But then the two women that he had loved would suffer the consequences. He was not willing to allow that. Somehow, he would have to suck it up and endure his brother until he could be with Kikyou once again.

" When I arrived here was supposed to deliver a message from the kami. Of course, you were never willing to listen to it. Instead, I have been shoveling shit for Ah-Un and groveling before Shippou and Jaken. I am actually grateful that you have not allowed me to speak to Kagome. Even though my bond to her has been broken. I still remember the love that I once had for her. Speaking to her would just bring back too painful memories."

Sesshoumaru struck out with his whip " Do not speak her name. You are not to think about her or breathe in the same space. as her. You were never worthy of her. I will not tolerate your insolence. Is that clear."

Inuyasha winced as the whip sliced deeply into his exposed flesh He nodded assent merely to belay the next blow. Slowly, he gathered his energy to speak.

" I was told by the kami that they would hide the castles of the youkai. Thus hidden the survival of the youkai would be ensured. So long as you did not venture into the human world, you would be safe. They further warned me that you were not to interfere with Hideyoshi and Tokugawa. They would not tell me why. Tokugawa trained me for a year. I consider him my friend. Hideyoshi was Nobunaga's right hand man throughout most of the time that I was with Nobunaga. I do not know what has happened since I assisted Nobunaga in committing seppaku. That was not my concern. Personally, I hope that you ignore the advice of the kami and get yourself killed."

Sesshoumaru snapped the whip and knocked out Inuyasha by hitting him in the head with it. The idiot had given him something to think about. Too bad that they had not killed the messenger and delivered it in person. He would have liked to have given a piece of his mind to the kami. His father had always told him never to cross the kami. He had done so at his peril. Now he was reduced to being a dog and eating scraps off his own castle floor. Sesshoumaru reached down to pet Toga. The akita welcomed the touch. Too bad that they had never shared that kind of companionship when his father .had been alive. Maybe reincarnation did serve some purpose. He needed more information about the situation on Honshu. Spies would have to do if the kami did not want him to interfere personally. He must tread carefully under these circumstances.

Kagome was in the dark. She had the perfect life. Waited on hand and foot by servants. A husband responsive to all of her needs. Children to love and take care of. But it all stopped at the shoji door. She was not told of anything that went on in the outside world. Yet she did not want to be blissfully ignorant. Before she had left the modern era she had been a top thirty student. Now she was treated as if all she cared about the care of the children and dressing to please her husband. She had to make an effort to discover what was going on in the outside world. The only reason that she had discovered what was happening to Inuyasha was that she had intercepted scrolls with news from Kyoto intended for Sesshoumaru. Otherwise, she would have been kept in the dark. It had been months since Inuyasha had arrived and yet she still had not been allowed tosee him. She would not even been aware of his presence if Jaken had not slipped up and showed her Tetsusaiga. The only way that she was going to find out what was going on would be to ask Inuyasha himself. She was not sure that she was up to the confrontation. It had been twenty-two years and yet it seemed like yesterday. She knew that she loved Sesshoumaru and not Inuyasha, but she remembered how much she had loved Inuyasha. Sometimes it still hurt to think her love for Inuyasha had disappeared leaving an empty place in her heart. Fortunately, Sesshoumaru was there to fill that void.

She looked around her room surely she had something to wear other than bed or dress She put on a robe and found some shoes and went through the shoji door. It felt so sneaky She had not felt so alive in some time. Maybe she was just a thrill seeker at heart. That year adventuring with Inuyasha and her friends she still remembered as the best year of her life. The years had passed so quickly in the Western Shiro. Yet she had not aged. Sesshoumaru had tried to tell her once about the magic of the Western Shiro. Time passed more slowly within the Shiro. Although she was over 40, she looked no older than the twenty year old who had come here twenty two years ago with her mate. Apparently it allowed persons to age to point where their cells began to degenerate. Rin now looked the same age as Kagome. Even she had not aged in ten years. It seemed impossible that Rin had a five year old daughter. But she and Sesshoumaru had two children Aiko, eleven and Chiyoko five. They were asleep in their bedrooms. It would not disturb them if she went on night maneuvers.

She took the lamp by her bed and crept down the hallway. Her ability to sense youkai was worthless. She and Rin were the only humans present. Her lamp flickered as she crept down the stairs. She remembered that Rin had told her that Inuyasha was confined to Ah-Un's stable. That is where she would head. When she arrived the horse dragon raised its head and snorted at her. It had been sleeping and the light disturbed it. Inuyasha was not there. Where could he be?

Kagome sat down by Ah-Un to think. The horse dragon roused itself and lumbered over to lick her cheek. They always remembered those who were kind to them. She scratched behind their ears. They moaned. What was it about demons and their.ears.? Most of the time they presented that vicious front. But to those who knew better they were just lovable pets. Kagome had always been able to sooth Inuyasha. Ah-Un was no more of a challenge than he was. Sesshoumaru was a different matter. It had required a very special tact in dealing with her mate. But even he had finally succumbed to her wiles in all areas, but access to the outside world.

Suddenly, the Lady of the West and Ah-Un were illumined by the light of a torch. Around the corner came one of the castle's guards. Kagome rose to meet , her eyes brimming with hope.

" Could you tell me where Inuyasha is?"

"You mean the hanyou prisoner, My Lady?"

" Yes, can you take me to him?"

"I am not sure that it would be a good idea. The Lord has given strict orders that he not be disturbed."

" And do you think that those orders apply to me as well."

The guard hesitated for a moment. and then motioned for her to follow him. They headed off toward the dungeon. When they arrived Kagome was able to cajole her way past the guard at Inuyasha's cell. What she saw horrified her. Inuyasha was hanging head down. He was shackled and suspended by chains attached to wall. He was naked except for his fundoshi. Scars from Sesshoumaru's whip covered his chest. He had several gashes on his face and head. She could tell that the wounds were old . The blood appeared to be dried and the gashes were healing over.

Kagome ordered Inuyasha to be taken down. The guards brought him to the shoji and placed him on her bed. They stationed themselves outside the room. It was like deja vu for Kagome. After all these years, Inuyasha was suffering again from injuries inflicted her mate. She wished she had brought her first aid kit. She sighed to herself as she stared down at him.

"What am I going to do with you, Inuyasha?"


	29. True Confessions

She was stiff when she awoke. The stiffness came from sitting upright in a chair all night . What she would give for a soak in a hot spring right now. It was still dark outside. She still had much to do before sunrise. It would not do for Sesshoumaru to come barging in right. In Inuyasha's present condition, Sesshoumaru might kill him. Instead of figuring out what to do with Inuyasha she had spent the night sleeping. Now she was under pressure. She had the responsibility to make sure the household functioned efficiently The kitchen staff would be making breakfast. The washer women needed to be kept in line. There was a rumor that they had not appeared yesterday. Someone would have to sent into town to ascertain why. The keeper of the oils would have to be questioned to see that the levels were sufficient to light the castle.She would have to check the wood supplies to see what was necessary The hunters would have to dispatched. If only she had brought a pda to keep track of all of these details of running a castle, it would so much easier. Instead, she had scribes who kept track of all of the household details so that she would know at glance what needed to be done. How had she become such a bureaucrat. It certainly was not what she would have chosen. She must check on her own children to see that their nanny had dressed them and taken them down to breakfast. Inuyasha's fire rat robe had not been in the dungeon when she found him. She would have to obtain clothing for him. His form in itself was not remarkable. He still looked like a skinny kid. just as he had when she found him hanging from Goshinboku by Kikyou's arrow. Only she knew the power and strength which his heart possessed. She and Tetsusaiga had been the keys to unlocking Inuyasha's true abilities and controlling his dark side. She had not seen him for twenty-two years. The scrolls she had intercepted had given hints of what had happened to him over the years. Unfortunately, they raised more questions than answers. She would have to wait until he was awake. Somehow she would have to avoid her husband while she obtained her answers. Surely, she could prevail upon him to release his brother. Her children should meet their uncle. When they did , they would realize what a good and decent man he really was

Inuyasha awoke. Where was he? He could tell that it was still dark outside. The room was huge and very impressive. The bed reminded him of the beds in Kagome's time. It was raised off the floor. No tatami mats here. Kagome's scent overwhelmed his senses. He had not inhaled her wonderful aroma since that night so many years ago. On the wall were beautiful murals. Screens and triptychs were scattered around the room. The room was lit by torches on the walls and candles on the stand. The walls were decorated with murals of the Quest for the Jewel. He was the only thing missing. On one wall Inu no taisho's battle with Ryuokottsei was depicted. Inuyasha looked away. The mural brought back too many bad memories. His father would have died from the wounds of that battle if he had not been incinerated by the castle in Satusma falling on him. It was his death that had led to the hell that had been his existence before Kagome had come into his life. The only good year of his life had been when Kagome had pulled the arrow from his chest and revived him. Kikyou had renewed his belief that perhaps the kami would allow him a little bit of happiness after all of the shit that they pulled on him over the years. It had been very disconcerting to discover that the love that he had felt for Kagome and Kikyou had been scripted by the gods to make follow him around and assist them in their tasks like a little puppy. It cheapened his life to think nothing he had ever done or said was not written in book somewhere and that he was just an actor speaking the lines which the Book of Life demanded that he must say. The freedom that he had always prized was an illusion. All of the pain that he had felt in his life had no meaning. It just was. He shook his head. Dwelling on his lack of freedom served no purpose. He might as well pretend that he had freedom and continue on as if he did. In the end it would make no difference, but his headaches would cease if he just stopped thinking about it.

Sesshoumaru watched as his mate and their children said their prayers at the little shrine that he had built for them. He had never said a prayer to the kami himself. They were just beings like himself only so powerful that they could squash him like a bug. He had never wanted anything from them. The power that he had wanted had be obtained by himself or it would have no meaning at all. He would prefer that the kami simply left him alone so that he could do what he wanted to do without any interference from them. His mate had been raised at a shrine. Her grandfather was a priest. He understood that she found comfort in the ritual. She had after all lost her home. The least he could do was to give her back a piece of what she had lost. As he gazed at her, he could not help thinking how beautiful she was. It was lucky that they had come together on the night of victory party. He had not planned to go. If he had stayed on Kyushu he might never have mated her. These twenty two years with her were the best years of his long life. At one point he would have scoffed at marrying a ningen woman. Only fools like his father and Inuyasha fell to that level. Now he was not so sure. Maybe they had a point even if they were fools. For a moment it occurred to him that his mating with Kagome was just kind of trap that the kami would have placed in front of him in order to take him from the path of supreme conquest. He decided that if that was the case, then he would go happily in the trap because he would not trade his life Kagome and his children for any other life.

Kagome's face brightened as she looked up from her prayers to see the face of her mate. They needed to talk about what to do about Inuyasha. Until this day they could put off the conversation that should have taken place over twenty years ago. She was the voice of reason in the volatile world of the inuyoukai. Only she could bring peace between the two brothers. Somehow she had to prevent her mate from killing Inuyasha because he had formerly claimed she belonged to him. Her mind was clear she knew that she loved Sesshoumaru, but she could not allow him to kill the man that she used to love. Inuyasha needed to realize that while she was sorry for what had happened, the clock could not be turned back. If he was going live under their roof, he had to abide by their rules.

"Sesshoumaru, we need to talk."

The tone bothered the tai-youkai. What could she want to talk about.

"I need to discuss Inuyasha. The three of us need to talk. I need closure to my relationship with Inuyasha so we can all move on. If he is going to live with us, he is going to have to accept our relationship. He needs to know how I feel about you. Both of you need to let you of your anger. I will never leave you for him. We both know that. Can you do this for me?"

Sesshoumaru scowled. He did not want to tolerate his brother at all. The threat of his brother brought forward all of the youkai instincts that mated youkai had. The desire to kill him was overwhelming. Kagome stepped forward and put her arms around his waist. The children were just behind. He reached out and pulled her to him. The blood of ice and Kagome's scent began to soothe him. He could feel that Kagome no longer loved Inuyasha. and was no threat to his mate.

The calming influence claimed him. He bent down and embraced and kissed her.

"I shall see to him."

Kagome stiffened. "There is something you need to know. I brought him from the dungeon last night. He is under guard in the shoji"

Sesshoumaru's youkai rose again. He felt the threat again. She had dared to release Inuyasha and bring her to the most intimate place in the house, the shoji. It was the women's quarter where she could retreat. Normally, Sesshoumaru allowed Kagome her privacy here. Matters had come to a head. He whisked Kagome off her feet and they flew together to the shoji. The children were left with their mouths agape. Hopefully, someone would come and take them down to breakfast while their parents took care of the problem that Inuyasha presented.

When they arrived the guards began to tremble in fear. They knew that Sesshoumaru had given any orders to allow the prisoner to be taken to shoji. Kagome had intimidated them as Lady of the West. Now they had to face the Lord himself without excuse for violating his orders.

Sesshoumaru motioned to the guard to open the door. He strode in to face his brother, his whip and dokksou filled claws at the ready. The sight he saw was unbelievable. His brother was sitting on the bed dressed in one of Kagome's kimonos It was bursting at the seams and came up only to his thighs. He could not help, but laugh.

Kagome wandered in when she heard Sesshoumaru laugh and nearly fell on the floor with amusement.

"Inuyasha , that is not your color."

"I did not really have a choice, wench. I did not want you to see me in my fundoshi, though it appears that you already have done so."

Sesshoumaru cracked his whip in the air. "Speak respectfully to my mate. You shall refer to her by her title, the Lady of the West, when you are allowed to speak to her. You shall speak to her only when I allow it.

Kagome was not amused. " Dear, I will speak to Inuyasha when I wish to do so. I do not need your permission. I appreciate your intervention to protect me from his rudeness. I weathered his foul language for a year. So long as he does so in private and not in front of the children I am willing to let it slide."

Inuyasha stared at both of them and finally spoke. " I will try to keep my language clean and so respect to the Lord and Lady of the West and their children. I am sure that I would not be doing by duty if I offended either of you."

Kagome could hardly believe her ears. Who was this person who looked so much like Inuyasha?

She had never heard him speak in a diplomatic fashion before. Sesshoumaru eyed him warily gauging him for hints of sarcasm. Finding none he decided to let the hanyou continue to speak.

Inuyasha waited for them to indicate that he could speak. When no one did so he finally began.

" I am here at the request of the kami. They have instructed me that in order to atone for my sins that I must protect the Lord and Lady of the West and their children for so long as they need protection. I have already told Lord Sesshoumaru what the kami have done to protect the castle. I have also told him how they expect him to behave. I am willing to repeat that message for the Lady of West."

Sesshoumaru indicated that he could proceed.

Inuyasha began" The kami have told me that Lord of the West is not to interfere with humans anymore. Specifically , he is not to interfere with Hideyoshi and Tokugawa. when they come to Kyushu. They are carrying out the kami's work in unifying Japan and driving out the gaijin and their foreign kami. In exchange, the kami will make the castles of the youkai invisible to ningen. This act will ensure the survival of the higher youkai in this age of guns and cannon. The kami will not allow the youkai to interfere any more with the humans. The humans belong to the kami and they will protect them."

" And what will happen to me, if I do not comply." replied Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha thought for a moment before he responded " If it was just you, I would not care what happened to you. But I will not see harm come to Kagome just because of your stupidity. The kami have been interfering with us for a long time. Father was sent to hell after he died merely because he married my mother. Do you think that it was chance that Ryuokottsei just happened to rise up in Musashi when he did or that Takemaru of Satsuma was waiting for him with all of his troops when he arrived to take back his expectant bride. They have made me painfully aware that I was never supposed to be born. Because I was not supposed to be born, none of what I have done has ever been written in the kami's Book of Life. I now know that I have been their plaything all my life. My mother just after I was born, but my father sacrificed his life in order that I might live. After my mother died, the kami did not believe that I could survive but I did. Because I did they found a use for me. Kikyou was supposed to have used those subjugation beads to bond with me so that I would protect her against Naraku. Her love for me prevented her from doing what was in her own interest. As a result, we both died. Kikyou tried to rid the world of the Jewel when she died, but her lingering affection for me caused the Jewel to bring Kagome and itself back through the well to me. The beads crafted by Kikyou caused me to bond to Kagome so that I would protect her against Naraku. That bond has now been broken. It has been replaced by this amulet which requires me to do the kami's bidding. At the moment their bidding ,is to protect you and your family It is part of my penance for what I have done.I feel no ill will toward either of you any more for your mating. The kami have told me that they intended the two of you to be mated. The bond between Kagome and I was supposed to have been removed before this happened so that I would not feel the pain from the loss of her love. Now that the bond has been removed I am free to go and love another. If I felt any ill will it would be toward the kami who have manipulated me all of my life."

Sesshoumaru snarled at him. He did not need the protection of the kami. He did not need anything from them. To think they would send the person he hated the most, feared the most and distrusted the most into the bosom of his family was ridiculous. Yet he could feel no lie in Inuyasha's words. Inuyasha clearly did not have any more love for the kami than he did. As usual his little brother could not help but put himself in position where he was controlled by another. Whether it was bound to tree by Kikyou, subjugated by Kagome, having his demon subject to Nobunaga, and now controlled by the kami. He was not sure that he appreciated a person subject to the whim of the kami protecting his mate and their children, but Kagome would never let him get rid of him.

The amulet suddenly flashed a bright blue. Inuyasha howled in pain. He must be more circumspect about his words and feelings toward the kami. The amulet may have been crafted by Kikyou, but it allowed the kami to directly control him. Kagome rushed to his side as he thrashed on the floor. She knew from experience that Inuyasha just could not keep from saying things that would get him punished. They would have to watch out for him in the future.

Kagome gazed down on the hanyou. He was different than he used to be. Two blue stripes with black edges jutted out from each side of his face. There appeared to multi-colored tattoos running up and down his arm. His eyes were still amber but they had rose tint. His ears were still hanyou like dumplings on the top of his head. The amulet was still glowing. It was emitting a pulse which Kagome had never seen before. She wanted to help her friend, but was cautious about approaching while the amulet was glowing with that eerie blue light. Her own purifying powers flowed with a pinkish glow. She was not sure how the amulet would react if it came into contact with her powers. Better to let whatever was controlling Inuyasha know that they did not mean any harm. While she waited for the glow to recede and the hanyou to recover pondered his words. She had always been a romantic. Love just happened to people because it was meant to be. It had never occurred to her that the kami might be maneuvering her to fall in love with one person one day and another the next. It seemed like such a cynical approach to life. Where were the beneficent kami whom she had been taught to pray to. Did her life and her love have no meaning than it being next chapter scripted at the beginning of the world. She refused to believe was true. If she did she would go mad.

Sesshoumaru stared at her. She needed to get control of herself. Kagome did not have the blood of ice like he did. As a result she reacted to emotional stimuli in a very human sort of way. It was her emotional responses that always attracted him to her. He was chilled by the blood of ice, but she could make him feel all of the human emotions that she felt. Now he needed to calm her. He pulled her into his body with the mokomoko-sama. Her purification powers were beginning to recede. He began to kiss her neck. She responded with a passion that almost surprised him. At the same time he was gratified that after twenty two years he could still make him her respond like a newlywed. Their bodies entwined and the kisses became more passionate. Garments were removed and they retired to the bed to finish their lovemaking. The amulet cast an unearthly glow on their bodies. They seemed beings not of this world.

When the amulet's glow finally ceased Inuyasha began to awaken. He seemed to lost his bearings. Where was he? What had happened to him? The last thing he remembered was a tremendous pain surging through him when a blue light had blinded. He had no clue as to why that had happened. When his eyesight finally cleared he saw two persons on the bed in a lovers embrace naked except for Sesshoumaru's moknmoko-sama.. From the scents he knew it was Kagome and Sesshoumaru. It almost made him vomit. He had to bite his tongue to keep him from saying something stupid. The amulet had done enough damage for one night. No need to antagonize Sesshoumaru any further. He might need an ally against the kami.


	30. Serving Time

The years passed quickly for Inuyasha. Hideyoshi eventually defeated all of Nobunaga's sons and generals. The only person he could not defeat was Tokugawa. In 1585 they made peace allowing each of them to continue their conquests elsewhere. Hideyoshi began to inch closer to Kyushu. He took Shikoku and ordered the Shimazu to stop attacking the Otamo. The Otamo were now under his protection. He had an excuse to enter the conflict in Kyushu. The Shimazu ignored his threat and prepared to take the last Otamo territory. In January 1587, Hideyoshi invaded Kyushu with 170,000 men. By June the Shimazu had been defeated and reduced to Satusma. The first edict of expulsion of the Christians missionaries went out in July 1587. Kyushu was now secure.

Hideyoshi wondered where the youkai castles had disappeared. He knew that Lord Sesshoumaru dwelt on Kyushu. Yet no one had seen him or castle since Nobunaga died. Some reported to him that the castle had simply vanished. There were other reports that individual youkai had been spotted and that human workers were still reporting to the castles for work. These reports could not be confirmed. He decided to let it be. There were still many places to conquer. He did not need to seek out the youkai.

Sesshoumaru was uneasy with the new power structure. He knew that Inuyasha had brought him the message of the kami to leave Hideyoshi and Tokugawa alone. It was not in his nature to accept the will of the kami. Humans were ants to be stepped on if they were in his way. It was the youkai and not the humans who were the rightful rulers of Japan. He might have fought the kami's will if he had been younger but now he was a husband and a father and he would not endanger the lives of his family simply to prove his point. And so he allowed Hideyoshi to triumph.

For Inuyasha it was the peaceful time in his life. He could train his nephew in fighting. His niece was not interested in learning about sword play and hand to hand combat. Kagome was raising her to be a proper princess. They did not dirty themselves with fighting. Inuyasha wondered about the wisdom of this approach. He had seen what hard times had done to his mother. Kagome had been able to adapt to the hard times of quest. It was hard to think of her as the Lady of the West until he saw her holding court with Sesshoumaru. Maybe that it is why she had not been meant for him. For him she had been that diminutive fireplug who gave him the strength to fight the crusade against Naraku. That was what was needed for the times. Now the youkai needed rulers who displayed all the grandeur of power. Inuyasha had never understood or wanted power over others. He had only wanted power so that no one would ever threaten him again. It was the little boy in him which needed to be reassured that he could defend himself against the humans and youkai who threatened him. He thought of going to see Hideyoshi to negotiate a settlement with him. Sesshoumaru had told him no in no uncertain terms that he was not to leave the castle.

Being bored he began to seek out Sesshoumaru for sparring. Sesshoumaru was surprised to see how much Inuyasha had improved over the person whose battle strategy was simply to charge at him. The year with Tokugawa had improved his skills. He was still the warrior that Sesshoumaru was, but then he had never trained with the Inu no Taisho. After being defeated several times Inuyasha finally approached Sesshoumaru about lessons. It took a lot to humble himself before Sesshoumaru and asked him for training. And so Inuyasha began showing up with his nephew at the crack of dawn for the remedial lessons offered by Sesseshoumaru. After all if he did attend these lessons his nephew would start showing him up at their daily lessons and he could not allow that.

With all of the time available, Inuyasha even had time to attend the lessons taught by Kagome.He had never had the opportunity to study any subjects like Kagome or even Sesshoumaru had. Now since there was no longer a war in Kyushu, he could relax and learn all of these things that Kagome and her children's tutors could teach him. Her children and Sesshoumaru might think that it was funny for a grown man to be learning calligraphy and mathematics alongside children, but so long Kagome was willing to spend the time teaching him, Inuyasha was willing to learn. She still had some books that she had never returned to school in the 21st century. If she could prepare Inuyasha and her children for the future she would gladly do so.

Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru wondered about the amulet on Inuyasha's arm. He was deliberately leaving out part of the story. Sesshoumaru had seen the power of the amulet when it knocked his brother unconscious. He knew that it glowed blue and it reeked of the divine. It made him very uncomfortable that the power of the kami had been brought into his house. He knew that Kagome had always had a decent relation with his half-brother. Perhaps she could find out for him what the amulet did and why it was on his wrist. And so he approached his wife about this matter.

"Kagome, have Inuyasha ever told you anything about the amulet on his wrist?"

" No, he has not. The amulet gives off two distinct auras: one is the aura of the kami and the other is the aura of Kikyou. The only persons who could have removed the kotodama are the kami, myself and Kikyou. I know that I did not remove it, but could feel when it was removed."

"Could you find out more information about that device from Inuyasha. He is probably more willing to talk to you about it than he is to talk to me."

Kagome considered this request for a moment. She hated the idea of sneaking around when it came to Inuyasha. The idea that Kikyou was involved disturbed on a very deep level. She thought that the undead miko who possessed a piece of her soul was gone forever. Even her light had been extinguished. To have her show up here was kind of creepy. It was silly to jealous of Kikyou. She had her own mate and children. Whatever, Inuyasha wished to do with Kikyou was his business just as her relationship with Sesshoumaru was none of Inuyasha's business. In the end she owed a duty to her husband to protect them from harm. If that meant wheedling information from an old lover so be it. His relationship with Kikyou may have hurt her in the past Today it meant nothing to her. So she would go ahead and find out what was going on between them.She decided to approach him as he was coming off guard duty for the day. Inuyasha preferred the night watch. It fit with the life style which he had come to accept. He looked somewhat handsome in the guard uniform of the West. Those ears were so adorable. Once they would have been enough for her, but all of that had changed so long ago.

"Inuyasha. I need to talk to you. We need more information about that amulet you have on your wrist. We need to know if it is a threat to us."

Inuyasha stared at her incredulously. He wondered if he could ever trust anything she would ever say. Once he had trusted her implicitly. He had gone into the Meidou for her. He had waited three years for her only to have her leave him forever for his brother. His duty was only for protection. It did not mean that he needed to trust either his brother or Kagome. His brother had never given him any reason for trust. On the other hand , he had placed all of his trust and all of his hopes on Kagome only to see them dashed. He would listen cautiously to what she had to say.

" What do you need to know?"

" Can you tell me anything about the amulet? We are still wondering why it knocked you unconscious the way it did."

"I was told that the amulet would bind me to the kami. It was indicated to me that I would be able to draw upon it for healing and strength. Nothing was ever mentioned about the amulet harming me if I said or did something contrary to what the kami wanted me to do"

"Who gave you the amulet?"

"Why do you need to know?'

" Because the amulet has Kikyou's aura on it. I can feel it you know because I share her soul. My husband and I need to know if this device is something which will harm us or our children."

"Kagome, I know what you felt about Kikyou in the past. Frankly, I do not care anymore what you or Sesshouamru think. The bond that we had was originally intended to tie me to Kikyou, but Kikyou died because she did not want to bind me. That bond between you and me is now broken Kikyou removed it at the direction of the kami. I am guarding your family because the kami required me to do so as part of my punishment for the things I did on behalf of Nobunaga. There is only one person in the whole world that I care about now. That is Kikyou. She gave me her heart and has bound me to me. I know that if I ever want to see her again is if I comply with the will of Kami and do whatever they ask me to do. They asked me to guard your family. I do not think that they intend you harm so long as Sesshoumaru does not try to interfere with Hideyoshi and Tokugawa. You probably know more about what is to come than I do. You were always making references from your history book. It was your reference to Nobunaga that attached me to him in the first place. I assumed based on your hero worship of him that he must be a great man. I learned the hard way that being a great man does not mean being a good man.

I killed many humans and youkai on his behalf both before and after my demon was loosed. When Kikyou placed the amulet on me I was forced to relive every moment of the twenty two years that I was with Nobunaga so that I could truly see the enormity of what I had done. I see all of the victims in my dreams. The only comfort I feel is from the amulet where I can feel the love and support of Kikyou. Without that I could not go on. I knew that I was required to do the will of the kami. I had no idea that I would punished by the amulet. As a result of what happened to me I have become more circumspect about what I say and do about the kami. I would never bring harm to you or your family as a result of my actions towards the kami. Please do not make go into my relations with the kami. Such views are pointless and contrary to everyone's welfare."

Kagome stared at him. It had never occurred to her that he did not love her anymore or that he loved Kikyou. She decided that she needed to know more.

" Inuyasha, where did you meet Kikyou and what is her relation to the kami?"

" Nobunaga sent me to kill Sesshoumaru. My father was sent by the kami to intercept me. He was able to do so. He rendered me unconscious and brought me to Kikyou's shrine. There my father was rewarded for his service by being released from hell and was reincarnated as the akita named "Toga". Kikyou who is now the guardian kami of her shrine, purified the demon who had taken over me. While I was human, she removed your bond and replaced it with the amulet. She told me only that the amulet was a bond between herself and me so that I could draw upon her strength and healing powers. I vaguely knew that it also bound me to the will of the kami, but I was never told what would happen if I did not follow their will. Now I know. Kikyou is carrying out the will of kami. In the process we rekindled the love that we once had for each other. I know that I must follow the will of the kami or I will never be able to return to Kikyou. Guarding your family is my second task. My first task was to kill Nobunaga."

Kagome gazed at him for a long time. Some much had changed about him. From the scrolls she had read over the years, she knew that somehow he had been involved with Nobunaga. Events had never gone as her history book indicated they did. The information about Kikyou was a lot to digest. Kikyou had been her nemesis for so long. She had even tried to kill Kagome. It had taken Kikyou's death for Inuyasha to finally get over Kikyou and express to Kagome what she had always wanted to hear. It still hurt to hear him say that he loved Kikyou again and not her. Even though it should not matter since it was better this way, it still hurt. Finally, she looked at him

" Inuyasha, I am glad that you and Kikyou have finally become closer. I know that you always felt bad about what happened to you on your wedding day. I wish you all the best. I just hope that once this is over the two of you can finally have some piece. I had heard something about your relationship with Nobunaga. Could you tell me what you did for him."

"Thank you, Kagome. I will be glad when I am finally able to get on with my live. It seems like whenever I finally find what I want, something steps in to take it from me. I decided to find Nobunaga after you left me. That was one of the worst decisions I ever made. I killed humans for him and destroyed castles. At Mt.Hiei, I ran into Miroku. I was injured and changed into my youkai form. He purified me with a ofuda. While I was in that state, Nobunaga made a decision to summon and subjugate my demon. I do not remember anything that happened to me while the demon was in control. The kami have shown me what I did and told me that I am to blame. That is where I am today. Making up for the horrible things that I have done. How about you? Are you and Sesshoumaru happy?"

Her relationship with Sesshoumaru was something she had an easy time talking about.

"Inuyasha, you may not want to hear this but Sesshoumaru is the best thing that ever happened to me. I do not care if the kami think that they manipulated us into mating. I love him and our children. I know that I once loved you, but it appears that we both have moved on. I am sorry to hear about what happened with Nobunaga. I had a school girl crush on him. I forgot the monster that he was and thousands of people that he killed. All I remembered was that he helped unify Japan. I did not remember the price that was paid for that unification."

Inuyasha hugged her.

" I am glad that I am finally able to let go and treat you and your children as family. I have never been part of a family. I am glad that you have treated me as part of yours. Sesshoumaru and I may never get over the hate that we have felt for each other all of these years, but that will never prevent me from protecting you and your children as family. I will do that whether it is the will of the kami or not. I am proud to love you as a sister."

"Thank you, Inuyasha. That means a lot to me."

And so while this little family survived on their little island on Kyushu great events thundered around them. The Hojo were crushed and Date was forced to submit. All of Japan now cowered before Hideyoshi. Just when he had reached his height and had ordered all of swords possessed by the non-samurai to be surrendered the winds changed. With Japan subdued he dreamed of other conquests. He left for Korea with many of his daiymo to prepare for the invasion of China. Korea would occupy him for the remainder of his days.

Soosanoo smiled. Hideyoshi had done his job in unifying Japan. The dream of conquering China had been the right move to take Hideyoshi away from Japan. Now Soosanoo could concentrate on the man he had been preparing to rule Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu.


	31. Parting Ways

Hideyoshi was dead.

Sesshoumaru stared at the scroll in front of him. The man who had unified Japan was gone. He had brought peace to Kyushu and the rest of Japan. He had kept his enemies by forcing them to fight with him in Korea. Tokugawa, Inuyasha's friend had been exiled to Hideyoshi's headquarters in Kyushu.

Hideyoshi seemed to know that he was dying. He had named Tokugawa as one of the Council of Five Elders who would rule as regents for his five year old son in the event of his death. Japan's unity had hinged on the life of one man. Now he was dead. Surely, a power struggle would commence. Sesshoumaru was sure of only one thing. Hideyoshi's son would never live to be the ruler of Japan. One of his so-called protectors would take Hideyoshi's place.

Hideyoshi's rule had brought peace to Kyushu. Thanks to Hideyoshi and the kami, Sesshoumauru had finally been able to relax his guards. The warring clans who had fought over the island had been placed within the control of Hideyoshi. There was a man who understood the importance of Kyushu to Japan. It was here that Japan showed its face to the outside world. Hideyoshi had maintained his headquarters here And it was here he had condemned.

Tokugawa had recived the same news. At last he was free. With the Council he was now of the rulers of Japan. Power would have to consolidated quickly. The child was only a pawn now. He must secure the cooperation of the other daiymo or others would seize powers first. The time had come to leave Kyushu and head north to meet with the other council members.

Tokugawa looked up from the scroll to see an old man standing before him. Oddly enough the man seemed to be laughing and pointing at him. He was not sure what to do with this man. Being raised in this age , he had great respect for the elderly. But what was he to make of this person.

Finally, the old man spoke..

"Today is our day Ieyasu. The monkey is dead. Soon the dog will be dead. You must go north as soon as possible. to seize control of the child before the others can do so. I have prepared this day for so long. I nourished you when you were fighting Nobunaga. I made sure that you kept out of harm's way. You became Nobunaga's ally and I gave you victory over the Takeda. You became Hideyoshi's ally and without firing a shot against the Houjo, they were removed from power.

Now the last great warrior has been removed from the scene , it is your time to shine. I have come to collect you and another from Kyushu so that will of the kami can again rule Japan."

Tokugawa did not know what to say. The man front of him appeared to be a fool. He was babbling that he had been the source of Ieyasu's rise to power. It was too much to be believed .Something told him to be cautious with this man. There was something odd about him. As if he were not fully human. Tokugawa had never really interacted with non humans. Inuyasha had been his friend. He had trained him to be a warrior. But no one had seen Inuyasha since he left for Kyushu. sixteen years .ago. There were persistent rumors that Inuyasha had been present at the time of Nobunaga's assassination. It had been reported that there were five furrows of fire which had covered the front gate of the temple in which Nobunaga had been besieged in Kyoto. Some had reported seeing a man with dog ears and a red haori entering the temple after the fire. Neither Inuaysha or Nobunaga had ever been seen again. Now he was face to face with someone who offered him the future.. Should avoid this man simply because he was strange. Finally, he spoke.

"Prove to me that you can deliver on the promise and I will follow you."

A mist arose. around the old man and Tokugawa. Suddenly, he was riding over the snow as fast as he could. He had only five men left. When the Takeda came to castle, it would not be able to stand. His life would over soon. Nobunaga had failed him. He yelled at the gatekeepers to leave the gate open as he rode through the entrance. It was his last desperate gamble. The Takeda must believe that the open gate was a trap and turn back.

The scene faded and mist swirled. Snow was flying in the face of arquebusiers. They could hear the thundering hoofs of the Takeda cavalry. The samurai were ready to break and run. As if heaven sent the demon appeared.. The ranks parted to allow him to lay his five furrows of fire into the advancing enemy. The route was averted. Takeda Shingen would never make it home alive. Tokugawa was saved.

"Well, Ieyasu. Do you remember that day?"

Tokugawa stared at the old man.

"Nobunaga and the demon arrived and we survived. The first scene never happened."

"Actually, the first scene is what was supposed to happen. The scribes will remember it that way since you will write the history of those times. That it is what would have happened if I had not brought in Nobunaga and his demon to save the day. I am here in Kyushu to collect you and the demon. Since he is now bound to the kami, I will make use of him to help you."

Tokugawa was outraged. He had seen Inuyasha enslaved and forced to do the Nobunaga's bidding. Inuyasha was his friend. He would not force him to fight for him even if that is what the kami wished.

The old man laughed.

"Inuyasha would fight willing for you. The kami have set a price that he must pay before he can regain his freedom. He knows what he fights for. I need you there so that he knows that he will be fighting for your also. He has never had a problem with that. You will need his help before this is ended.'

Tokugawa finally realized that the old man must be a kami. He knew what occurred in the snow and what would have occurred if the demon had not common. There was no doubt that he needed Inuyasha's help. He had been cut off for five years from his base by Hideyoshi. There were alliances to reforge. The Council of Five Elders would be his springboard. Eventually, all of Japan would be his.

" I accept.. When do we leave?"

"We leave at first light. Take only what need. Tell your guard to meet you at Osaka. That is where the Council will meet Inuyasha and I can protect an old fat man like you."

With that said mist swirled around the old man he was gone.

The next day they rode out with a small group of Tokugawa body guards. They came to what appeared to be great depression carved out in the earth. Here the old man bade them stop.

He got off his horse and moved toward the depression. Raising his hands in the air, he yelled

"Lord Sesshoumaru, I have come to collect the debt of the kami"

Lightning bolts came crashing out of a clear blue sky on all sides of the depression. A ball of light suddenly appeared in front of the old man. Gradually it began to form into a man. The old man was not intimidated and waited until finally the Lord of the West stood before him.

"Greetings, Lord Sesshoumaru. Your brother owes a debt to the kami. I am here to collect."

The tai-youkai stared at the old man. Obviously, he was not what seemed. He recognized Tokugawa from his time at the court in Kyoto. What did the kami want with the worthless hanyou. Wasn't he supposed to guard his family. Granted Sesshoumaru had never thought he needed the protection of the kami. He certainly had not never to have Inuyasha inflicted upon him. If the kami wanted him. They could have him His children were all grown now. He was capable of protecting them as he always had. The sooner Inuyasha left the better. His bond to kami made Sesshoumaru extremely uneasy.

Tokugawa gazed at the two men. He had met Sesshoumaru before, but had no interest in him since Kyushu was outside his sphere of influence. Seeing Sesshoumaru in his light form was somewhat shocking. It was truly amazing what the tai-youkai was capable of. He made a mental note not to cross the inuyoukai lord

" Could you let us stay the night. We will leave tomorrow with Inuyasha"

" That is satisfactory. I will arrange for quarters. I am sure that my mate would love to see you. and Tokugawa. For some reason she has a fascination with persons she refers to as historical figures."

And so Tokugawa and his retinue and the old man entered into the now invisible Western Shire. While their horses were stabled, they had time to prepare for supper. The tai-youkai did not disappoint. It was clear that he wanted to impress the old man and Tokuagawa with his munificence and power. After dinner they retired to the court chambers of the Lord of West. There the old man and Tokugawa were presented to the Court of the Lord of the West. Kagome was suitably impressed with Tokugawa and was able to convince to tell tales from the time of Nobunaga and Hideyoshi. The old man's turn came next. Kagome was uneasy in his presence. He radiated the same blue aura that pulsed on Inuyasha's wrist. What was this man? Could he be a kami. Finally it was his turn to speak. He looked as if he had swallowed a canary when he spoke to Kagome.

" Ah, Ms.Higurashi, quite a graduation from high school to Lady of the West. You never could hold your liquor. Of course, if you had you would chasing down hanyou brats near Edo and doing all of those housewife things instead of being the lady of the great and terrible Lord Sesshoumaru"

There was an audible gasp in the room. Courtiers ran for cover. Surely, Lord Sesshoumaru could not allow this insult to pass. He simply stared at the old man. Finally, Kagome spoke.

" It appears that you have me at a disadvantage You know who I am, but I have no clue who you are.

" But Ms.Higurashi, you have been saying your prayers to us for nearly for nearly sixty years. Your family runs a shrine and yet you do not know who we are."

Suddenly, a person dressed in the garb of the castle guard entered the court chamber and walked right up to the old man.

"I know who you are, you old bastard. You are the person who has made my life miserable for the past thirty eight years."

The amulet pulsed blue and Inuyasha fell to the ground unconscious.

" Yes, Inuyasha, and unless you learn some manners. I will continue to make your life a living hell.". .

Kagome looked at him angrily

" Was that really necessary? Violence never solves anything."

The old man began to laugh until it was almost embarrassing to everyone in the room. Finally, he stared at Kagome and replied

"You're serious. Acer. Ever hear that overused phrase before. According to our statisticians you used that phrase on Inuyasha over one thousand times over the course of your time together.

And you did it for your own amusement. Inuyasha is bound to the kami. Until he has completed

his service to us, he is our creature and we have the right to demand obedience from him. Violence does solve problems. You helped bring down Narica and wished the Sacred Jewel away. We are grateful to you for what you did. But do not think to question us about what we do.

The will of the kami is what it is and must be obeyed. We are here to collect Inuyasha. His service for you is at an end. He still owes a debt to the kami which I am collecting. Have him ready to ride in the morning. Good Evening"

The old man turned and strode out of the Court chambers leaving everyone in the room stunned.

Finally, Sesshoumaru dismissed Tokuagawa and his retinue. Kagome rushed down to Inuyasha's side. Several guards stepped forward. She motioned for them to take him to his bed chamber. She would follow to attend him. Sesshoumaru turned to her.

" Now that was an interesting turn of events."

Kagome followed the guards carrying Inuyasha into his bed chamber. He was still unconscious.

She began to strip his fire rat robe. There were no visible wounds anywhere that she could see.

Yet he did not seem to waking up. Nothing in her first aid kit would have worked at this point.

As she stared at his body in the candle light something was so attractive. It was like she was being lured to him like a moth to flame. This was impossible. She loved her mate and her children. Never had she felt any sexual feelings for Inuyasha. They had not even kissed. Yet she could feel the attraction drawing her in.

She sat on the bed. and reached for him. Just a kiss before they parted. When their lips touched he responded. He seized her body and pulled her to him. She felt a panic in her soul. This must never, never happen. The more she struggled the more intense he became. When she felt that she could not physically resist him no longer she began to call for her husband.. Her clothes were shredded on the floor. She was screaming for her husband. He began to kiss her just to stifle her cries. When the guards entered, he thrust them aside like they were paper.

A moment later, Sesshoumaru entered the room. He gazed at the guards bodies piled on the floor and at his wife naked and disheveled on the bed. When he gazed at his brother he saw a feral beast looking back at him. He smiled. This was just the opportunity he had been waiting for to finish Inuyasha. The beast charged him. Sesshoumaru sidestepped and put his hand through Inuyasha's stomach. The beast whimpered and fell to the floor. Sesshoumaru crouched over him and howled like a victorious animal.

Into this melee walked the old man. He touched Inuyasha on the wrist and activated the amulet. A blue glow now surrounded the hanyou. As Sesshoumaru held Kagome tightly, they watched as the wounds were quickly healed. It almost seemed like a miracle. When it was done, the old man turned to them and said " You almost lost me the key to victory. Japan needs him for unification. If it was up to me, we would kill everyone of you, youkai . As it is we will simply erase you from history. We will allow the humans to determine whether you live or die. The weapons for your destruction will be furnished to them."

Sesshoumaru snarled at him "Get out, kami. Take him, his robe and his sword. Tell him he is never to come anywhere near my wife. The next time I see him, I will kill him."

Despite the late hour, Tokugawa and his retainers were roused. They made haste to distance themselves from the Western Shiro..As Inuyasha awakened, he sighed. He could see shadow of its outline marked by the morning sun. He knew that he would probably never see it again. His entire body was on fire. He did not remember anything that happened after he entered the Court chamber.

" Glad to see you are alive, Inuyasha. Your service with your brother is ended You will probably never see them again. We must make haste or we will miss the boat to Honshu. You and Tokugawa have a date with destiny that I cannot afford to miss."

Inuyasha could only wonder had happened to him while he was unconscious that had caused them to flee from the Western Shire like thieves in the night.

As the sun rose over the Western Shire, a single horseman rode up to the main gate. The guards were surprised this person seemed to know where the gate was even though it was not visible. They roused Jaken to go to the gate. The visitor was now pounding on the gate and demanding entrance. Jaken opened the viewing panel.

"No one is allowed in the Western Shire without leave of Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Sir, I must speak to my uncle, Lord Sesshoumaru"

"Why do you need to do that?"

"I was instructed to seek out my father here if anything happened to my mother. I must speak to Lord Sesshoumaru to see if he can find my father."

" And who might your father be?

" Inuyasha"


	32. The Road to Edo

The road to Edo was frought with danger. It must have looked strange to see the Tokugawa party. traveling from Osaka to Edo. Tokugawa was a fifty five year heavy set man. Traveling with his samurai bodyguard were a frail old man and a hanyou. While the Tokugawa party rode., the hanyou carried the old man on his back. Only Tokugawa had a clue as to the nature of the old man, but even they did not know who he was

They had stopped in Osaka to see Hideyori. All of the Council of Five Regents were there. Tokugawa could see that the five year would never succeed his father. It was simply a matter of who would succeed him At the meeting Tokugawa realized that by being isolated in Kyushu he had been isolated from the Korean war effort and the comeradery among the daiymo who had fought with Hideyoshi. Tokugawa clearly was not a fighter or a warrior anymore. At least three members of the group: Mori, Assagai and Acadia Hideie were opposed to him. In addition Ishida Mitsunari, who had been head of staff for Hideyoshi was against him. He clearly needed allies before war broke out. It seemed like the period after Nobunaga died when he had been able to grab territories because the generals and the sons of Nobunaga were fighting against Hideyoshi. One good thing did come out of the meeting. They all agreed that the Korean War and the attempt to conquer China had been a bad idea. The troops were to be withdrawn as soon as possible.

When the Houjou had been defeated, Hideyoshi had offered him a deal. They even peed together to seal. He gave up the five provinces that he had held and in exchange had received eight provinces which made up the Kanto. Before he was sent to Kyushu, Tokugawa had established his capital at Edo. When he was sent to Hideyoshi's Kyushu headquarters to assist the war effort the had left bureaucrats in charge of his lands. The danger from other feudal lords was minimal. They had all been forced to fight with Hideyoshi in Korea. Now he must go home and see how his lands were faring and find allies that all knew was coming.

When they finally reached Edo Castle, Tokugawa set about restoring his dominion. He was even willing to give Inuyasha some time off. The old man did insist on going with him. Inuyasha was not happy about that. He had hoping to see Kikyou whom he had not seen in sixteen years. The memories of his last two visits with her were still strong. Having the old man around would certainly spoil the mood. Still he since he did not seem to have a choice, he would have to make the best of it.

They walked in silence to what used to be Kaede's village. Inuyasha assumed that the hag had died since he had not seen her when he had been here last. When they entered the village, they began to hear whispers. Men with very hostile faces stared at them from the huts that lined the road. When they reached the Torii Gate at the bottom of the hill to the shrine,.they were met by a woman wearing the garb of the miko.

" What business do you have here, hanyou. This used to be a holy place. Are you responsible for the desecration that occurred.?"

Inuyasha stared at her nonplused. For much of his life humans had hated and feared him. It was only Kagome that had accepted him for what he was and that bridge had been burned. Then he remembered. Twice he had burned down this village: when he stole the sacred jewel and in his anger about the loss of Kagome. It was little wonder that he was not welcome here. In addition he had caused the death of it miko and now guardian kami Kikyo. Today, however he was determined to see her. No miko was going to stop him.

"Get the hell out of my way, miko. I have business with the guardian kami."

The miko stepped back appalled. What could a hanyou want with the Kikyou? Could this be the hanyou that killed her.

"Who are you and why do you want to see the kami."

"I am Inuyasha, bitch and what I want to do with her is my own business."

The old man stepped forward.and spoke " Both of you be quiet. Take me to place where you worship the kami"

The miko gazed at the old man. She could only guess at his identity, but she could feel the touch of the divine.

"I will show you, Holy One."

And so they ascended the stairs. When they reached the top the view appalled Inuyasha.. There was a large crater where Kikyou's shrine used to be. The effect was immediate and devastating. The destruction was worse than what Urasuae had done. The entire shrine complex had been destroyed, but the blast centered on Kikyou's shrine.

The old man frowned. His sister was acting up again. He needed Inuyasha's cooperation. This certainly was not the way to get it. He turned to Inuyasha and spoke.

"If you will repair the damage to the shrine, I will see what I can find out. I will only release you when you have finished assisting Tokugawa."

Inuyasha grumbled, but set to work. The miko instructed him as what needed to be done. He really did not need her help. Kaede's village had been his second home for four years. It was here where he and Kaede had talked about Kikyou. It was here that he had renewed his love for Kikyou sixteen years ago. He wondered whether Kaede was buried. Their parting had been bittersweet. It was not her fault that Sesshoumaru and Kagome were mated, but he had destroyed the village nevertheless. He had only spared the shrine and her hut. It was reminiscent of what happened fifty years before that. He had destroyed the village and caused Kaede to lose her eyesight in one eye after his rage over Kikyou's betrayal. He would need to show his respect for her after all that he had done to her. She had shown him nothing but kindness in the four years that he had been in the village. It was too late to say he was sorry, but he would try to give her some peace for what he had done.The miko stared at the old man.

"What is the story here? Who is this hanyou? Is he really the one who was sealed to Goshinboku for killing Kikyou.? Is he really the one that destroyed the village twice.?

The old man laughed.

"Inuyasha is a creature who should never have been born. Since he has no place in history the kami feel no qualms about creating difficulties for him. He is the same hanyou who stole the Shikon Jewel from Kikyou and was sealed by her arrow for fifty years. He destroyed the village then and thirty eight years ago. he destroyed it again because I made his fiancé fall in love with his half brother after he had waited three years for her to return to him. I have played with him for the past thirty eight years by influencing humans who were in control of him. I lost control of him sixteen years ago, but now he is back in my control."

The miko blanched this man was an important kami. She threw herself on the ground and abased herself.

" Forgive me, Holy One. I am your humble servant. Tell me what I must do for you."

The old man laughed. Did humans really think that they could do anything for the kami. He hugged her and pinched her on the butt saying.

" Maybe we can think of something, my dear."

Just then Inuyasha came back and scowled at the old man pinching the butt of a young girl. It reminded him so much of Miroku and Sango. that he sighed. He had not seen either of them in almost thirty years. They had to be old and grey by now. The years went by too fast for mortals.

" Get that lecher off you. Don't you know that you're not supposed to fuck with the kami"

The miko blushed with embarrassment while the old man guffawed. Finally, the miko looked at the repairs that the hanyou had made and was amazed. In a very short time, he had recreated the shrine .as he remembered. The woman noted this also. He must not have seen some of the updating and weathering. When he was done, he turned to her and spoke.

"OK. I have done what you asked me to do. I came here to see Kikyou and I damn well want to know why she is not here."

The miko was stunned for a minute. The hanyou was certainly a rude. man. Legendary figures should not talk like that especially about the guardian kami of the shrine. She hesitated then finally spoke.

" About a month ago, there was a bright flash like gunpowder exploding. When I arrived, all that remained of the guardian Kami's shrine was the hole in the ground which you have so kindly refilled. All of the buildings and the shrine itself were destroyed. I could not feel any touch of the divine."

" Have you ever talked to Kikyou?"

" No. The Kami have never spoken through me. Though occasionally I have seen a young boy playing up here late at night when there is no one around. I never knew who he was. But I have not seen him around for a month either."

Inuyasha was not satisfied. The explosion reminded him of when he was struck by lightning by the god of storms. It smacked of the Kami. And who was this boy? If the miko did not know what had happened surely the old man knew. Unfortunately, he had no way of forcing him to talk. Finally, he could take it no more.

"OK old fart, you mind telling where Kikyou is. If you did something to her, I will make your existence a living hell"

There was flash of blue from the amulet. The hanyou tumbled into a heap on the ground. The miko gasped and rushed to his side.

"Do not worry yourself, girl, he will be fine. He just needs to learn obedience. For a dog you would think that he would be better trained."

He then turned to the hanyou.

" I warned you before that you are nothing but a toy to me. By all rights you should not exist. I could snap my fingers and you would disappear from history. I am fond of you, but I will not tolerate anything but blind obedience until you are released ."

The miko quivered as she addressed the old man.

"Holy One. Do you know when we will get our guardian Kami back?"

He looked at her and smiled.

" She was also disobedient. In her arrogance she created a being whom she should not have created The Kami do not allow tampering with creation. The only one who can save her is lying right in front of you. Since they are beings outside of creation, even the Kami cannot predict their future. If the boy returns here, send him to Edo I will deal with him there."

The miko bowed in obeisance The Kami nodded and throw Inuyasha on his horse and led it back to Edo Castle.

Despite the lateness of the hour, Sesshoumaru ushered his guest into the audience chamber. He

was bracketed by guards. Jaken stood at the ready with his staff of two heads. He had just rid himself of the troublesome hanyou after sixteen years. The last acts of his little assured that his wife would never want to see Inuyasha again. He left open the option of hunting Inuyasha down like the dog that he was and placing his head as a trophy overt the fireplace. Unfortunately, he must wait until the Kami withdrew their protection of the hanyou before he made a move. When he was prepared he motioned that the stranger was to brought into the room.

" Explain why you have breached the peace of this Sesshoumaru."

" Sire, my name is Kami no ko. My mother is the guardian Kami, who was known in life as Kikyou. I was formed from her spirit and the seed of the hanyou, Inuyasha. I am about sixteen years old. I was instructed by my mother that if anything ever happened to her, I was to seek out my father, Inuyasha at the Western Shiro on the island of Kyushu. She told me that the castle would appear invisible. I was told that the castle belonged to my uncle, Lord Sesshoumaru. I have been traveling for several weeks before I found the castle. I would request to speak to my father., Inuyasha to tell him news of my mother."

Sesshoumaru stared at the young man. Kagome had told him much about the relationship between Kikyou and Inuyasha. He knew that she was a kami and that she had renewed her relationship with the hanyou. Nothing had ever been said about a child. While honor might require that he assist his nephew in his efforts, Sesshoumaru had never felt that Inuyasha was entitled to be treated honorably. He now extended this treatment to Kikyou and Kami no ko.

" Your father is no longer here. He abused the courtesy of the house which was extended to him by assaulting my wife. He left with Tokugawa. I assume that they were bound for Honshu. Since I am no longer permitted to interfere in human affairs I cannot tell you where he went or where he presently resides. Go seek your father elsewhere. Inform him that if I ever sees him again. I will kill him."

With those words, Sesshoumaru abruptly dismissed Kami no ko who bowed low and left the hall. As Sesshoumaru watched him go, he wondered whether or not he should have the young man followed. Perhaps he would lead Sesshoumaru to Inuyasha. After much thought he decided against such a venture. It was not worth his time to engage in such a venture so long as the kami had an interest in his brother. He needed to get back to his mate. They needed to wash the stain that the hanyou had left on them. A night of torrid lovemaking would rid them of all thoughts of Inuyasha. He would be in better mood in the morning. He instructed the staff and guards that they were not to speak of the midnight visitor. Kagome was simply too kind and would have wanted to extend aid to the child despite what his father had just done to her. It was for her own good.

Tokugawa stared at the scrolls at his castle in Edo. It had belonged to the Hojo for some time. When the Hojo had fallen to Hideyoshi, the Kanto had been given to Tokugawa in place of his other lands. Tokugawa assumed that Hideyoshi was trying to move him away from the seats of power in Kyoto and Osaka. Tokugawa immediately set about creating a power base extending from Edo castle. He had torn from this task when he was ordered to the base in Kyushu where Hideyoshi was conducting the war in Korea. His administrators had done well. Money was flowing into the coffers. Money could buy samurai, weapons, and allies. With Hideyoshi and Nobunaga gone there was no one who was his equal. The boy would never be king. It was only a matter of who seized power first. When Meada Toshiie died in April 1599. he had his opportunity. He occupied st Fushimi, then Osaka Castle the power bases of Hideyoshi. The boy was now under his control. It was a declaration of war.


	33. Sekigahara

War was coming. Everyone from Kyushu to Hokkaido knew it. Tokugawa had practically invited it by marching into Osaka. The remaining members of the Council of Five Elders could not allow him to control Hideyoshi's successor. Each rushed to gather allies. The Uesugi marched from the north to join the Morii and Chosokabe who were marching from the west.

The mastermind in forming the Western Army was Ishida Mitsunari,the leader of the bureaucrats in Hideyoshi's administration.. He was joined by the three remaining regents Ukita Hideie, Mori Terumoto, and Uesugi Kagekatsu. Tokugawa was joined by his allies the Date clan, the Mogami clan, the Satake clan and the Maeda clan.

The signs had been clear. The West had tried to assassinate Tokugawa. Uesugi mobilized its forces. . Tokugawa moved to attack the Uesugi. At just this moment, Ishida Mitsunari chose this moment to declare war and seize Osaka and took Fushimi castle both of which Tokugawa had seized the year before. The Western Alliance was formed and ready to march against had no choice but to leave the Date to confront the Uesugi.

Inuyasha and the old man were with Tokugawa. The old man seemed very pleased with himself. He seemed to know something that the others did not. Inuyasha had always hated that in him. It meant that he was about to do something for the Kami which would benefit Tokugawa. Unfortunately, he would not know what or when he was supposed to do it until it actually happened.

Tokugawa was upbeat. If the Kami were with him, he knew that he could not. Inuyasha might have been his friend forty years ago. Now he was just the tool of his Kami. He assumed that siince the Kami and Inuyasha were with him that the Kami would use Inuyasha to influence the battle in his favor. The most important in this battle of alliances were to convince his allies to fight and to convince his enemies not to fight.

Sesshoumaru had received the summons of the Western Alliance. He would never fight for humans no matter who they were. His brother's fate showed very well that allying yourself to humans or the Kami could only end badly. Still he could not ignore the warning of the Kami not to interfere with Tokugawa. As much as he wanted to kill his brother as long as he was under the protection of the Kami. He had noted that the Shimazu had answered the call. They always had been fools. Father should have destroyed them when they supported Takemaru of Satsuma in kidnapping and killing Izayoi. He always had been too generous with humans. Sesshoumaru had not thought humans worth his while until he met Rin and Kagome. They and their hanyou children were the most important things in his life. He had found someone to protect. His father had been right after all though he had to die, go to hell and be reincarnated as a dog for his trouble. This Sesshoumaru would make no such mistake.

Kami no ko had been searching Honshu for his father for the past year. He had been to Kyoto and Osaka without any luck. The main roads were thick with samurai. He had to skirt them to stay out of their way. His uncle had mentioned that his father had left with Tokugawa. Maybe if he found Tokugawa he could find Inuyasha. It was worth a try. First he needed to go home and see if there were any clues either to whether Tokugawa was or whether his parents were. Sometimes it got very lonely wandering around by himself. But his mother had told him that his father had been by himself since he was a young boy. He would show everyone that an eighteen year old could make his way in the world.

And so Tokugawa set off for Osaka. When Mitsunari learned this he set off for Sekigahara. He arrived first and held the high ground. They occupied the heights around Mt. Nangû and Matsuo, with Ishida himself positioned somewhat northwest of Sekigahara and flanked by Mt. Sasao. If everything went perfect Tokugawa would be surrounded on three sides. This was no to be Mitsunari's engaged the Western forces. One of the Western daiymo Kobayakawa Hideaki with 15,000 troops was located behind Yoshitsugu's was engaged with Tokuagawa vanguard. Around noon the old man nodded his head and turned to hanyou.

"Draw your sword and use the Wind Scar to scare the Western troops behind the front lines."

"You want me to kill humans. You know Tetsusaiga will not allow that."

The old man stared hard at him " I just want you to scare them. If you saw five furrows of fire coming at you it surely might have that effect. You know the consequences of disobedience."

Inuyasha brought his sword down and fired it towards the reserves. The effect was immediate. The commander realized that he could lose all of his men to the demon sword before they were even engaged. He had been approached by one of Tokugawa's men before the battle. The time to switch sides was now. He order his men to engage the front line troops of the Western Allies. Attacked from front and back Yoshitsugu's position fell apart This treachery caused the western generals Wakisaka Yasuharu, Ogawa Suketada, Akaza Naoyasu, and Kutsuki Mototsuna to defect.

The old man pointed out additional reserves to the hanyou. After he aimed the Wind Scar at the peak of Mount Nangu , the 25,000 or so western troops arrayed on the slopes of Mt. Nangû under the Môri and Chosokabe were retired from the field. An additional Wind Scar was directed at Kikkawa Tsunie, the leader of the advance forces. This attack cause him to decide not to fight Ieyasu, and his immobility forced those to his rear to do the same.

The western forces were soon routed. The hanyou had done his job without killing a man At the beginning of the battle 60,000 heads riddled the field. By the end the leaders of the West had fled, had switched sides were captured or dead. The opposition to Tokugawa had ended. Of the three regents who had opposed Tokugawa two had not participated in the battle. The other was exiled and his place as daiymo was replace by the commander who had turned the battle to the Eastern Allies.

Inuyasha now turned to the old man would he release him to look for Kikyou. The old man gave no indication that he would do so. He knew that Tokugawa would probably spend the next few months before winter chasing the remnants of the Western Allies and dealing with them. Every minute that he wasted here was one where he could finding out what had happened to Kikyou. The old man seemed in no hurry. He cackled as they roamed the battlefield. Every so often he would throw a decapitated head at the hanyou while announcing the name of each person. Finally, Inuyasha yelled at him to stop

"You promised me that if I did this you would free me."

" No, sir hanyou. I told you that you would be released when I wanted to release you and not a second before. I will allow you to go to your Kami , but I will not release you. I still have one task that I need you to perform for Tokugawa. When you have completed that task I will release you. Before I send you on your way, you might want to talk to your friend, Tokugawa. He might be willing to offer you something for your service."

Tokugawa was eminently pleased with himself. Kikkawa Tsunie had told him before the battle that the Morii were not willing to fight. He had known that Kobayakawa Hideaki intended to betray Ishida during the battle. The Kami had been so pleased with himself in forcing the hanyou to use his weapon to push these commanders to switch sides. For his part he had done the diplomacy and cloak and dagger necessary to ensure victory. The historians would write that they had switched sides because of their personal loyalty to him. No one need ever learn of the part that the demon or the Kami had played in the battle. Now he must see to killing those who had fought against him and rewarding those switched sides. He had a particularly brutal punishment in mind for Ishida. He would buried up to his neck. A dull saw would left with an invitation to the citizens of Kyoto to make a few cuts. It would take a long time for him to die and the pain would be exquisite. It would serve as an example for anyone who dared to cross him.

Inuyasha walked up to Tokugawa who was surrounded by his guard.

" The old man has indicated that you might have something to tell me."

Tokugawa gazed at the hanyou for a moment. All of them had abused him over the years. But such was the nature of power. He was prepared to be generous with Inuyasha.

" Inuyasha, would you like that little village where you and the old man went."

Inuyasha considered the offer for a minute and nodded. This would allow him to preserve the shrine in one piece till it finally came down to Kagome's family. Although he might never see Kagome again, he still cherished her memory and what they had before the Kami had taken her away from him.

"Inuyasha. I give you that village, the shrine and the surrounding forest together with rice output .In exchange You shall subject to my call and the call of my descendants. You shall remit the rice tax each year without fail"

Inuyasha bowed in obeisance before his lord. He had never owned anything in his life. The feeling was overwhelming.

" Lord. The woman I love has been taken from me. I would ask leave to seek her out. Could you send one of your administrators to handle the day to day rule in the village while I am gone."

Tokugawa nodded. The hanyou was basically handing the actual ruling of the village to his administrators. It would actually extend his rule over the area surrounding Edo. He had grand plans for expansion of Edo and this would fit right into them.

The old man came up to them.

"Well, you done trading land? Ready to go see your new domain. You might find something interesting there if your look closely"

And so they left Tokugawa who had the important business of killing his enemies to attend and journeyed to the village near Edo where Kikyou and Kaede had lived. Inuyasha wondered what the Kami had in mind. He had seen the village a thousand times. Just because he was now its lord did not it his home. He wondered why the Kami was coming along other than to keep him on a leash.

Sesshoumaru walked through the field of human skulls. They were all so crunchy. It tickled him when they smashed between his feet. The buzzards were circling. Tokugawa had won. Soon Japan would have a new shogun. Not that it mattered to him. The Morii and Chosokabe had betrayed their allies by not fighting. So typical of humans. No honor. And his neighbors the Shimazu were being allowed to keep their lands. The restraint the Kami had put on him was almost unendurable. If he could not fight what was he to do with himself. He would bide his time until the Kami freed his brother. Then he would be able to kill his brother once and for all.

Kami no ko had finally arrived in the village. He had been raised here. When she had been taken and the shrine had been destroyed he had lost his home and his mother all at once. The trip to find his father had been good therapy. It kept his mind off of his problems. But the trip had been a failure. Now he had to face the fact that he might never see his home or his mother again.

As he started to climb the steps to the shrine the local miko rushed to him.

"Kami no ko. I was supposed to tell you to go to Edo castle if you came back here."

"Miko what is this about?"

" I do not know. All I know is that the holy one, a demon and the lord of Edo castle came here a

year ago. I mentioned something to them about you and they asked that if I saw you that I should tell you to go to Edo castle."

"What did they look like?"

"The lord was a very large fat man about sixty years old with rich robes. You would have thought that he was the shogun for all of his finery. The holy one appeared as an old man. He was ordering the demon around. At the end the demon became very angry at him and the old man made an amulet on the wrist of the demon flash blue. The demon was unconscious and the old man and the lord rode off with the demon slung over one of the horses."

"What did the demon look like.?" asked Kami no ko

"He was taller than me. Thin and wiry. He had long silver hair and golden eyes and stripes on his cheeks and neck. He wore a red haori and hakama, but no shoes or sandals. The haori appeared to be made of a type of animal fur. He was able to repair the shrine and fill in the hole. where Lady Kikyou's grave was located. Some of buildings look different than the way the shrine looked before. It was almost like he had seen the shrine at a different time."

Kami no ko blanched. There was no doubt whom she was talking about. He was exactly as his mother had described him. He was torn. Should he go to Edo castle and wait? There was no guarantee that he was still there. The shrine was the only home he had ever known. He was curious about what had been done to it. And so he had and the shrine maiden went up the stairs.

While he pondered these questions, the miko busied herself. burning incense on the altar in front of the newly rebuilt shrine for his mother. By blood he was attracted to the holy and repelled the profane. Something was not right here. The force that had not taken his mother was not evil. How was that possible? He had always been raised to respect the Kami. How could they be involved with her disappearance.? How could he contact them? Suddenly he heard an angry voice of someone mounting the stairs."

"OK we are here. Back at the shrine. Just what the fuck do you want to show me."

Kami no ko could not believe his eyes. There stood a man with long silver hair, golden eyes with distinctive stripes on his cheeks and neck. A blue amulet was on his wrist. He was dressed in red fur. There could be no doubt who he was. He raced to meet him at the Torii Gate and embraced. him.

Inuyasha stared incredulously at the young man holding on for dear life. " And just who the fuck are you?"

The old man snickered " Don't you recognize your own son."


	34. Kami no ko

Inuyasha stared at the old man like he was crazy

"What you mean I have a son? I was always told that hanyous could not have children. "

The old man burst out laughing.

"That would be true if you had sex with a human. But no you had two chances with human mikos and did not have sex with either of them. Instead, you had sex with a kami. The genetic rules do not apply to the kami. Think back, Inuyasha, did you not have sex with a kami."

A shocked recognition began to show on Inuyasha's face. Suddenly, he was remembering each and every moment of two nights he had spent with Kikyou. It had been eighteen years, but for Inuyasha, it could have yesterday.

"Snap out of it, stud. It may have been earth shattering for you, but life on earth goes on just the same. It does cause some consequences for us. That being over there should never have been created. Your lover took it upon herself to create without the permission of the kami. She should have known better" said the old man

Inuyasha stared at the young man. He had never even dreamed of having a family. Here standing in front of him was a complete stranger who he was told was his son. The news was almost too much.

"What a wonderful family reunion. Too bad his mother is not here."

Inuyasha glared at the old man

"And where the hell is Kikyou??"

"Young man , you will find out soon enough. In mean time why don't we hear the boy's story.".

Even the miko stopped her prayers to listen. to the boy. He stared at them all and began to speak.

" My earliest memories are of my mother. She was everything to me. We lived inside of the little shrine. Mama would let me eat the offerings that the people brought to the shrine. It gave me a tolerance for sake. I asked my mother why she did not eat or sleep. She told me it was because she was a kami. I had to eat and sleep because I was one quarter human and one quarter youkai. She had infused her spirit into my father's seed and the result had been me."

"She taught me letters and numbers. I was raised to respect the kami and pray for their protection for the village. She spent most of her time as guardian of the shrine protecting it and the people who asked things of her."

" They asked for so much. Most of the time she could not give them what they wanted because she did not have power over fate. She hoped that they would never realize that she was just as much a prisoner of fate as they were."

"As for me, she let me have the run of the village. No one ever knew who I was. I was just the boy who stole chickens. The boy who noone could determine where he came from. I was told to tell anyone who asked that I was an orphan. Many of the parents would not let their children play with me. So I played with the other outcast children of the village. It was then mother would come and play with us. The miko handled the respectable children. Mother made sure that the rest of us were loved."

"Father, she told me your story. How the two of you wanted to marry, but were killed in the end by Naraku. She told me how you were both revived by her reincarnation. I was reveled with tales of how you finally beat Naraku and waited for your true love to return only to have her snatched away by your hated brother. Still she told me how to find your brother and sister-in-law if anything happened to her. She said that you were being punished for your actions by serving them and that is where I would find you. As it was I arrived at the Western Shiro less than a day after you left with Tokugawa. Uncle was very rude to told me that he would kill you if he ever saw you again. He accused you of violating Aunt Kagome."

Inuyasha began to digest all of this in his mind. He and Kikyou had sex only twice. She must have created Kami no ko during that time. But why. Why did she not tell him? Was the child some kind of keepsake to remind her of their time together .He had thought of her so many times during his service for his brother. A child had never come to mind. Not that he never wanted a child. It had just not had the time or the opportunity before.. Now an eighteen year old son was staring him in the face. He had missed so much of the boy's life. There was so much that he could have taugtht him. Why now? The old man had diverted him here. He knew the boy would be here. If he did he surely knew what had happened to Kikyou. It was best to start with him. But he must be tactful or he would simply be blasted again.

" You knew that he would be here." he sputtered accusingly at the old man

"Yes, I did. Since Tokugawa does not need you for the moment, I thought that I would give you a chance for a family reunion. You should be pleased that you have such a fine son. He has chased you all over Japan. He is certainly more than you deserve.'

The miko had been silent. She was shocked. The little boy whom she had seen running through the village with the outcasts was the son of guardian kami. She could not conceive of the kami having sex or producing children.

"Holy one. Please tell me where our guardian kami is "

"The guardian kami is being punished for her sin "

This shocked the miko even more. The guardian kami was gone, being punished by the kami for her sin in creating a child. She did the only thing that a good miko could. She fainted.

" What the hell did you do to Kikyou?" screamed the enraged hanyou.

The old man scowled at him

"I did nothing. I know who, when how and where she is. You might want that information."

The boy came up to him and spoke pleadingly.

"Sir. Can you please come tell where my mother is. I miss her so much. I had been down in the village. I heard the flash and rushed up here. I found all of the buildings destroyed and my mother gone. I will do anything to get her back."

"Anything huh. Up for a quest, Inuyasha."

The thought of another quest turned Inuyasha's stomach. He had lost Kagome and Kikyou in the last quest. His only thought now was of being reunited with Kikyou. Now the kami had taken her away.

"OK you old bastard. What happened to Kikyou?"

"Inuyasha. I told you that she is being punished for bearing your child. Isn't that punishment enough. If you must know it was Raiden who provided the thunderbolt which blasted her shrine.

Amaterasu ordered the punishment. She had to obtain many levels of permission to place her in the underworld. It is a fitting punishment. She always threatened to take you to Hell. Now she is at the bottom level of that horrible place being punished as only humans. Amaterasu thought her punishment was appropriate because of what she had done."

"I am going to give you an opportunity to save her. My sister will probably be angry with me for doing so. But I always like to tweak her. Although it may not seem like ii, you are my favorite.I am going to let you in on a secret. Your sword knows the way. Summon Black Tetsusaiga and tell it to take you to Kikyou. That is all I can tell you. When you arrive you will meet a guide who may seem familiar. Disregard looks. He is not the person you remember. I cannot go with you. The underworld is a place where I do not rule and am not allowed to go."

" Your sword will serve you well in this place. It is a place where humans are being punished. The creatures you will meet will all be creatures that your sword can slay. Unlike your son, you are vulnerable to the punishments which are meted out in that place If not for the amulet on your wrist you would never return from that place. Trust noone while you are there. You have no right to relieve anyone from their just punishment. If you truly wish to save Kikyou you will take the true path. Your heart will show the way."

"Why must I take my son. He is just a boy and has no fighting skills Why put him at risk?"

"Without him you will not succeed. He has a pure heart and is the true representation of his mother's love for you. His virtue will protect you from all the evil that is there until you can reach your beloved. I wish you good luck. When you return I have one last task for you. Then I will free you and reward you for your service."

With that he bowed to Inuyasha and Kami no ko. Inuyasha summoned the Black Tetsusaiga and prepared to depart. At the last minute the old man withdrew a sword from his obi and handed it to Kami no ko.

" I am loaning you this sword, little one. I once found it in the tail of a dragon. Return it to me and I will look upon you with favor."

Kami no ko. bowed to him and grabbed hold of his father. Inuyasha opened the meidou and said the words "Take me to Kikyou." With that he leapt into the meidou with his son hanging on for dear life.

The sword took on a life of its own. It sliced a path to hell. For there lay his beloved. At last the meidou closed and a light appeared in the darkness Gradually, everything became clear. In front of the duo was a familiar figure.

" Hello, Inuyasha Soosanoo has forewarned me of your arrival. I am your guide through the eight levels of Naraka. I believe you are familiar with my avatar."

To Inuyasha shock the creature in front appeared to have the face of Hitomi Kagewaki. Finally, a single word escaped his mouth.

"Naraku."


	35. Naraka

" Damn you, Naraku. Didn't we kill you already."

The dark lord gazed at the pair.

" Ah, you must be thinking of my avatar. I am not he. I am the lord of Naraka. Enma-O had charged me to punish humans here until they can be reincarnated. Neither of you is human. You do not belong here."

Finally, Inuyasha spoke to him.

" How come you look like the bastard?"

"It is just the way I appear to you. It is the aspect of me that seems familiar to you. I am not him.

I have been to the living world since this place was made. I am not condemned to be here. Rather this in my place. I am doing what the universe calls for me to do. I could not imagine doing anything else."

Inuyasha sheathed his sword and approached him.

"The old man said that you would guide me to Kikyou."

" He did , did he. Do I look like a tour guide to you? The old man has no power down here."

The amulet on Inuyasha's wrist flashed angrily.

"Maybe I spoke too hastily. I cannot believe the power in that amulet. Could you put your arms in your sleeves. The light is painful to me. I guess I am to assist you in your quest after all."

With that they began to trek through the darkness until they reached a dark, frozen plain surrounded by icy mountains. The wind and snow began to howl around them. There were persons sitting on the snow. As they approached the first of them, Inuyasha could see that the people were naked and alone. Their bodies were covered by blisters from the cold.

Their guide turned to them

" Remember that you are not to interfere with any of these person. They are all here as a direct result of their previous karma. They will stay here for one hundred years when their karma will

have achieved it full result."

Inuyasha nodded. Still he felt uneasy. He could not help the feeling that something was following them. He had noticed that some of the persons that they run across had bites taken from them like they had been chewed upon by some beast. They would have to be on guard against whatever was following them. The boy had no fighting experience and he doubted that the dark lord would assist them in fighting whatever was out there. He was a little cold. The fire rat kept him warm. The boy did not seem to be suffering despite the cold . Inuyasha wondered what powers he had been gifted with as a kami. He seemed to be surrounded with a blue luminescence at all times.

It was not visible in the daylight, but as night he gave off an eerie glow. Despite what the lord had told them he still looked like Naraku. It continued to bother Inuyasha among other thing.

The next morning the winds and snow began to scrabblers in the dark were still behind them. Suddenly, ahead of them lumbered three gigantic oni covered in white fir. They began to lob snow balls at the hanyou. It irritated Inuyasha so much that finally he could not help himself

He raised Tetsusaiga and yelled ":Wind Scar". All hell broke loose The three oni disintegrated when the five furrows of fire hit them. At the same time he heard Kami no ko yell as he was raised in the air by unseen hands. Inuyasha knew that there must a body connected to area below

his son 'Soul Scattering Iron Claw" he shouted as his attack bit into solid flesh. His son fell to the ground. Whatever they were they skittered on the ground as they fled. All Inuyasha had seen was a grey lump which had disintegrated under his attack before he could examine. At the end he examined his son which seemed to dark lord however was pissed.

"How dare you do that to my creatures. All they did was through snowballs at you. The Raksasha only attacked because they thought your attention was diverted."

He grabbed for Tetsusaiga.

"I will hold this to keep you from causing any more mess."

" No one takes Tetsusaiga from me. It keeps me sane. Unless you want rampaging through peaceable kingdom and killing all of the inhabitants I suggest you control your monsters if you do not want them killed. Tetsusaiga will not allow me to kill the humans who are reaching their karma, but it will not hesitate to let me kill demons.".

" Well, just wait for my signal to fight next time. You have the protection of the gods after all.

Your son is half kami. And I have been entrusted to guide. You shouldn't let a few oni throwing snowballs at you cause you to lose you temper. Your rage must be more controlled."

Inuyasha thought about what he had said and nodded in agreement.

" We will be reaching Nirabuda soon. When we do we will stop and rest."

The rest of the journey that day was spent in silence. Inuyasha wondered what kind of protection the amulet could bring for them. He had never been able to use for his protection. It had soothed him, but now the feelings that flowed from it were intensely painful. Kikyou must be in deep distress for that kind of anguish to flow from the amulet. He wondered what could be happening to her that was causing such pangs.

He gazed at his son. The journey would be good in one sense. His son was almost fully grown yet Inuyasha knew almost nothing about him. He had missed too much. If only he could have stayed with Kikyou instead of serving his bastard brother he could have known his son growing up. Instead, he was forced to go through the process of learning to know a complete stranger.

The night was uneventful. He heard more of the scrabbling feet, but since his warning he tried to ignore them. When he went to wake Kami no ko he did not move. The scent was wrong. Who was imitating his son and where was he .He grabbed the creature who appeared to be his son Its eyes flew open and it smiled ghoulishly at him.

"We have the little kami and we won't give him back until we have sucked him dry."

The enraged Inuyasha was about to destroy the Dandasuka when the dark lord intervened.

":He will tell us more about where your son is if you do not kill him."

Inuyasha raised the rakshasa to eye level.

"Spill it, bastard."

" They wish to kill a kami and drink his blood. The old ones believe that if they do so they will become a kami like he is."

Inuyasha had heard enough

" If you do not tell me where he is right now you will join the shivering humans."

The demon laughed at him

"Your threats are idle, hanyou. Tomorrow, I will be a kami and I will drink your blood."

With that Inuyasha slit his throat, the blood steamed as it hit the snow. The demon disintegrated and the pieces were blown away by the blizzard. He turned to the dark lord and shouted

"Meidou Zangetsuha." Northing happened. The dark lord laughed.

" What were you expecting? You are already in hell. The path to hell is already open."

" Actually, I was hoping that it would take me to Kami no ko. When I asked it to take me to Kagome when she was inside the Jewel, it did so."

"Unfortunately, the power of the meidou does not work in hell. You will just have to find him the old fashioned way."

Inuyasha paused. He really wanted to hit the dark lord, but he was the only one who could find Kami no ko.

"Fine, we will do it your way. I assume that you know where the Rakshasa will assemble to feast on my sons's blood."

" Most likely they will meet at Padma where the blizzard cracks open the frozen skin leaving one raw and bloody."

" But these mortal punishments will have no effect on Kami no ko. Why would they take him there."

"Because they are attracted to the blood and the suffering of the humans is so delicious to them."

And so they ran. Through Hahava. Inuyasha had close his ears to the lamentations. Past Huhuva Inuyasha had to steel himself to ignore Bururu among shiverers with the chattering teeth. When they finally made it through Utpala, the dark lord informed him that they had reached Padma. The search to reach Kami no ko was not long. The horizon glowed blue, similar to the color of the skins was persons they had just left in Utpala. The dark lord motioned for Inuyasha to halt.

"I assume you have a plan."

"Actually, I was planning to kill them, grab my son and get the hell out of there."

" Great plan. You know that I will not allow you to use the Wind Scar or the Backlash Wave here and you cannot use Meidou Zangetsuha."

Inuyasha smiled. " I can still use dragon scale Tetsusaiga. to absorb their demonic energy."

The dark lord stared at him. " You realize that we may be facing at least one Asura."

Inuyasha responded with a laugh. " At one point to I would have feared to absorb such power, but so long as I have the amulet on, I can absorb an unlimited amount of power just like my father could."

The dark lord looked at him with more respect. So long as the rakshasa did not overwhelm him he might be able to handle them. The kami had indeed him a great gift. Not only did it protect him from the suffering in Naraka, but it allowed him to absorb demonic energy as if he were a tai-youkai.

When they reached the crest of the mountain they were astonished at what they saw. The blue light was now overwhelming.. Inuyasha had to cover his eyes. The dark lord lagged behind not being able to face the blinding light. Cowering before a small hillock were thousands of rakshasa There were kravyds, kidipa, dandasuka and praghasa. by the score. All revealed by the stunned before it.. There in the center of the hillock was small shrine. An asura was holding Kami no ko and howling in pain. He had a sword in his hand and he seemed to be trying to cut the boy's throat. His efforts were almost comical. It was clear that he was blind. All of his efforts missed the boy. Inuyasha leaped to attack.

The dark lord screamed. "Remember, you cannot kill anymore than is necessary to save your son."

Dragon scale Tetsusaga burst forth. He made a leap over the milling rakshasa and reached the shrine where the asura was holding Kami no ko. He knocked the sword from the demigods hand

" Release my son or I will be forced to absorb your energy."

The asura was now desperate "I must have his blood. It is my only way out of here. If I do not drink it and become a kami, I will remain trapped with these assembled vermin forever."

" I have a better idea. Let's give them your blood and then they came become as you."

With that being said. Inuyasha sliced the Asura's head in one chop. The power of the demigod began to flow into Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha staggered under the pressure. The blood flowed like a river through the shrine. The rakshasa surged forward. drawn by their hunger for blood. Inuyasha somehow managed to find Kami no ko under the piles of rakshasa were gorging on the blood of the Asura. Dragon scale Tetsusaiga was able to clear a path through the teeming mob while his son's radiance created a blinding light which caused eve the most vicious demon to steer clear of them. At last they reached the hilltop where the dark lord stood.

" Could you please turn off that light?"

Kami no ko opened his eyes " I am not sure how, sir."

"How were you able to summon it in the first place?"

"I became frightened when the demon with sword told me what he was going to do to me."

The dark lord nodded. " Maybe if you thought some happy thoughts the light would go away."

Inuyasha suggested " Think about your mother."

The light became less and finally faded. Inuyasha and the dark lord looked at each other.

" Now that was interesting. Not something that I would like to see repeated but interesting."

Inuyasha agreed. It gave him something to think about. His son had a great power to produce a blinding light when frightened. Not exactly Tetsusaiga, but there must be some reason for it His son had saved the day. Without his power Inuyasha would never have reached the Asura in time to prevent the sacrifice. It bothered him that he had come so close to losing a son that he had just met. He must be much more careful with him. The next morning they slept in. Inuyasha pulled the long katana from the sheath that the old man had given to Kami no ko. He looked at the dark lord.

" Any idea what this is?"

" That is Kusanagi no Tsurugi."

" What is it good for?"

" It was the sword that Soosanoo found in the tail of Yamata No Orochi when he slew him. How did you get it."

"The old man threw it to Kami no ko before we came here. He gave no explanation."

"That sword can only wielded by a kami. It's previous owner was not a kami and ended up inside of the dragon."

" So he gave it to Kami no ko to fight Yamata No Orochi. I thought the dragon was dead."

"He lies at the bottom of the pit preventing your kami from escaping. The only way to release her is to completely destroy the dragon. I would suggest that your son learn how to use a sword since the light trick will not work on a dragon."

" So what you are telling me is the only way to get to Kikyou is through this dragon, the only weapon that can kill him is this katana and that only person who can use this sword is Kami no ko."

"That is the essence of the problem."

Inuyasha shook his head. How was he going to make the boy able to defeat the dragon He had a live time of training to fight. Kikyou had trained Kami no ko to be a Nancy boy. The boy had probably never fought anyone beyond a school yard bully. Yet in a few days their fate would depend on his ability to kill a dragon with sword that only a kami could use. The ache in his head threatened to explode. He looked at the boy. The boy had surprised him by saving himself from the Asura. Maybe there were more hidden resources within him. He was after all a kami. with a small measure of humanity and youkai which he had inherited from Inuyasha. Finally, Inuyasha went to sleep, but his dreams all ended with Kikyou calling his name as she was killed by Naraku. Not the kind of dreams that he would have asked for. The next morning they broke camp They passed through the last cold Naraka. Mahapadma. The dark lord had disappeared. It was hard not to vomit as they passed by the persons whose bodies were cracked into pieces leaving the internal organs exposed to the cold. The internal organs then cracked. In the distance Inuyasha could see a boundary. A place where ice gave to fire. His clothing gave him more protection against fire. It would be good to get out of the snow, wind and ice. He had enough of blizzards for his he saw the dark lord awaiting him. He had a smile on his face. That could not be him appeared to small hills covered with snow and ice. Inuyasha and Kami no ko moved toward him. The mist cleared to reveal a dozen frost giants and equal number of trolls standing behind the dark lord.

" Inuyasha. This is the end of my domain. You can leave it if you defeat my minions. If you succeed you will meet my counterpart on the other side"

Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and prepared to attack. He noticed that Tetsusaiga had new powers. No doubt they were sucked from the Asura. It would help to have the power of a demigod in your sword.


	36. Some Like It Hot

Inuyasha smiled at the forces arrayed against him. At one point in his live he might have feared for his life and evaded them. While he was with Kagome he would felt an overriding need to protect her. Now he felt only a desire to reach Kikyou's side. Since they stood in his way they must be eliminated. He pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath and transformed it. Turning to his son he smirked.

" Think about what these bastards did to your mother. Think of her suffering. Feel the way you felt when you know she was gone."

Kami no ko began to glow with the bluish tint. The area became as bright as daylight. The giants and trolls became to stir uneasily. Several dropped their clubs to cover their faces from the diversion was just what Inuyasha had asked for. He asked Tetsusaiga to access the power which it had taken from the asura.. Tetsusaiga became a sword of flame against the sky. A dark shadow against the snow. The hanyou grinned. The giants and trolls would soon be kindling. A flame proceeded him as charged the minions. They howled in response.

The flame disappeared momentarily as he reached the trolls. When they closed on him they made his task easier. When they came within reach the kenatsu from the sword shot out its fiery death. He burst forth in a firestorm with dead trolls scattered like cordwood. He met the giants from above. The wind scar became a raging inferino. Each and every one of the frost giants burst into flame from the fireball which appeared over their position. The remainder of the battle consisted of mopping up the dying and wounded. When it was over Inuyasha turned to the dark lord who had stood impassively during the short battle. Now he bowed to the hanyou and begged him to swiftly take his leave from his domain before he lost any more servants.

And so Inuyasha left the Cold Naraka and entered the Hot Narakas. He knew that he was still only halfway to his goal. The sword he had strengthened would not work as well against the creatures that he would encounter still needed to find time to teach Kami no ko the fine art of swordsmanship if he was going to use the sword to kill the dragon. A plan began to would use himself as bait pricking and prodding the dragon. If the boy was properly trained and the sword worked as advertised, the boy could inflict the killing blow while the dragon was distracted. He needed to be able to stay alive until that happened.

He bowed to the dark lord, wrapped the boy in haori and leapt across the river of fire which separated the Cold and Hot Narakas. He found himself surrounded immediately. The dark servants of Enma-Oa were all around him. He reached for Tetsusaiga.

"Hold" came a commanding voice out of the steamy mist. Stepping toward Inuyasha and his son was a person identical in every feature to the person they had just left only this person appeared to be a lord of light. Inuyasha could now see the servants better. They were fierce, horrible looking persons with twisted features, copper red flaming hairs that stand on end, black in complexion and frightening to behold,

"So are you the lord of the Hot Narakas"

"I am he."

"Why are you surrounded by the servants of Enma-O?"

"They are here to attack the dead who attack one another as they are being revived in Sanjiva."

" Will you guide us to Kikyou?"

" I will take you as far as Pratapana. I am not allowed to go into Avici. Enma-Oa has forbidden me to interfere with the duties of the Yamanduta. I may rule here but Yama rules death. If they were to attack you I could not interfere with them. Try to avoid provoking them. If they thought you were attacking me, they would attack you since I am one of the lords of Naraka and subject only to Yama."

Inuyasha and his son bowed to the fire lord. They needed his help to reach the bottom level of

the hot Narakas. No need to antagonize him or the Yamandutas. Given the experience that they had with the dark lord, the fire lord and the Yamaduta would probably turn on them. Until then they would just have to accept them.

"Lead on, sire"

And so began the quest through the hot Narakas. As they passed through the first level they could hear the screaming as humans tore each other apart. Every so often one of the Yamaduta would leave and return with their sword blood burned into their fiery weapons. The fire lord explained that although the beings who died here immediately reborn so that they could go through the same gruesome process all over again..

It did shake Inuyasha some. Humans were revived in this Naraka only to be killed again and again in gruesome manners. It did give one pause about how one lived ones life. He was glad that Kikyou had neve succeeded in bringing him to this place.

At length they reached Kalasutra. All around them they could see Yamaduta drawing black lines

upon the bodies of the persons who were sent here. Inuyasha actually witnessed them cutting the beings upon the lines with fiery saws and sharp axes. They camped the screaming and crying. To distract his son Inuyasha began to instruct his son in the basics of sword play. What Inuyasha lacked in style, he made up for in dedication. He knew what it was like to be one with ones sword. In the process of strengthening his sword he and Tetsusaiga had actually become one being in order to survive. Inuyasha hoped that his son would understand this and come to depend on the Kusanagi no Tsurgi in the same manner. It was there only hope of reaching Kikyou.

The fire lord pointed out when they passed into Sarnghata. "The crushing Naraka" It was surrounded by huge masses of rock which crashed together crushing the beings into bloody jelly When the rocks moved apart the beings would be restored. Inuyasha managed to avoid being crushed by leaping on top of the rocks. It also saved his feet because the floor of this Naraka was made of hot iron.

When they camped the Yamaduta seemed more than willing to spar with Inuyasha and Kami no ko. Inuyasha was careful not to let any of their weapons pierce Kami no ko. Although the boy was more than half Kami , he was taking no chances with the boy. He was all that he had left of Kikyou and he was not about to lose him. They had been warned not to interfere. It was difficult. The screams of persons being crushed were horrible. Inuyasha wondered what kind of nightmares inhabited the boy's dreams. He knew from his own experience what it felt like to lose one's mother. His mother had been killed by humans. He would never leave Kikyou in this place. While others may have deserved what they got here through their karma. She did not. She had simply wanted to create a life. He could not faultt her for that. He wanted a family too. It was wrong that the kami made her suffer for such feelings. He was now more determined than ever to save her.

Raurava and Maharaurava were most painful for Inuyasha to endure. The screams from the enclosures where the beings were burning were unbearable. He had to steel himself from telling them not to enter the boxes. There were no escape from the burning ground simply more pain .

They passed through Tapana and finally reached Pratapana. Here they found the Yamaduta piercing the inhabitants with tridents until flames issued from their mouths and noses. Inuaysha watched as the Yamaduta edged closer and closer to them. He had been hoping to avoid a fight with the fire lord. It looked like the Yamaduta were not going to allow them to go any further without a fight. The persons whose karma it was to be sent here might be able to endure this pain. He had no diesire to join them.

The fire lord was no where to be seen. Inuyasha hovered over his sleeping son, Tetssusaiga in hand. He would never allow any harm to come to him. This was his pledge to Kikyou. He would see that her son, the person whom she was being punished for creating would be delivered to her in the same condition that she had left him. He could do not more.

While he was parrying the tridents with Tetsusaiga, he wondered if the asura had any tricks that he had not noticed. Obviously, the fire would not work her. They would simply shrug it off. He did not control the winds so the windscar would be ineffective as well as the backlash adamant barrage would only impale them. They had no youki to take dragon scale Tetsusaiga would not work.

Totosai's words from so long ago came back to him. Tetsusaiga is a sword that cuts. That was the key. The kenatsu crackled a frosty swath through the Yamaduta. until he was the only one standing. Somehow Kami no ko has slept through the entre exercise. Inuyasha smiled down athis son and crumpled beside him in doubt the Yamanduta would be back in greater force tomorrow. He would simply have to stand guard until he regained his strength.

Tetsusaiga had absorb something from the fiery weapons. Whether it would assist him. He would have to wait and see. Enma -O would probably be angry that he had lost so many servants. It could not be helped. Nothing must stand between him and his beloved. With those thoughts he nodded off.

When he awoke he was bound. Kami no ko was still unconscious next to him. The Yamaduta surrounded him and threatened him with their fiery tridents. In front of him was a large man with a scowling red face, bulging eyes and a long beard. He wore traditional robes and a crown on his head that usually bears the kanji "King". On his right hand stood the fire lord. They were on the burning ground, yet they were not burned.

"I am Enma-O. Why have you killed my servants?"

Inuyasha gazed at the Lord of Death without wavering or fear.

"The kami have banished my mate Kikyou to Avici. for daring to create the boy that lies here. I would fight my way through anything in order to retrieve her. The fire lord was ordered to guide me to that place. Instead, like his brother he has betrayed me and turned your servants on me. When I have recovered Kikyou and brought her and her son to safety you can punish me all you want. Until that time, get the hell out of my way if you do not want to minus a few more servants."

Enma-O contemplated the matter for some time.

"Is this true? Did you order my servants to attack him?"

The fire lord saw his danger and chose his words carefully.

" Lord, I did not order them to do anything. I merely left them alone here. It is not my fault that the Yamaduta attacked him."

Enma-O sighed. Without an admission he had no authority to punish the fire lord. He signaled to the Yamaduta to attend him. At last he spoke.

" You were ordered to guide. Guide him you shall. You shall receive no further assistance from me."

With that Enma-O and all of the Yamaduta disappeared in flames. When the flames had disappeared they were gone. Inuyasha grinned at the quivering fire lord.

"I would suggest that you release me now before I am forced to feed you to the Yamaduta. They probably would have as much as would watching you get what is coming to you. Unfortunately, I do not have the time. My wife is waiting for me."

Grudgingly the fire lord loosened the bonds. Kami no ko finally woke up. How he could have slept through all of that was beyond Inuyasha's understanding. He led them to border of Avici Ahead of them lay the hardest part of their journey. The dragon, Yamata no Orochi guarded the oven where Kikyou was being held. There was a surprise that would greet Inuyasha if he finally reached her. A smile crept over the face of the fire lord. He looked forward to the look on Inuyasha's face when he realized who his final opponent was. It would be worth all of the humiliation that the hanyou had put him through.


	37. Yamata No Orochi

Inuyasha gazed at Kami no ko as he practiced the katas with Kusanagi. The boy was graceful. He looked like a young god. The blue aura he radiated gave him an eerie glow.. He had inherited his mother's black hair and blue eyes. His smile was still that of a child who known love and never known hardship. The dimple on his chin made him look like a cherub.

Inuyasha had not learned the katas growing up. Sesshoumaru had never permitted him to enter the Western Shiro as a child. He had only learned them by watching Sesshoumaru practice had a grace in motion that he lacked. He had never thought them useful, but only practiced them because them because of the emphasis that Sesshoumaru gave to understanding his sword.

He had only shown them to Kami no ko once. Yet the boy looked as if he had been doing them since birth. His grace surpassed Sesshoumaru. Of course, Sesshoumaru was only a taiyoukai and did not have the beauty and grace of the kami. If the boy could master the sword, perhaps the did have a chance against the dragon.

He began to slowly prepare the boy. They would spar daily. He would only proceed when the boy was ready. As much as he feared for Kikyou, the boy was their only hope of beating the he could be made into the weapon that would destroy the beast, they could not go on.

His mother had told him the story of the dragon. He thought it was disgraceful that Soosanoo had used sake to make the dragon in order to defeat him. It was the kind of tactic that Myouga had urged on him when he had fought Ryuokotsei. It was certainly reminded of him of all the dirty tricks that the old man had pulled on him over the years. The sword he had recognized as the one which Soosanoo had found inside the dragon. He had been told that Amaterasu had given it to the Emperor. It was one of the three sacred objects which supported the Emperor's divinity. He was glad that the old man had given it to them. His question was how he had obtained the sword from the Emperor. He hoped that having the sword would not cause the sun goddess to hate him. Kikyou was suffering from her anger. He did not need any further trouble.

At last the boy was as ready as he was ever going to be The plan was for Inuyasha to distract the beast. He would dart among the eight heads and eight tails stinging and burning. The dragon must think that he represented the major threat. It was possible that the worm recognized the sword since he had eaten its previous owner. If he did remember Inuyasha would have to use major attacks to keep him away from the boy. He would use the flames from the asura to cauterize the heads as the boy chopped them off. He would open with the backlash wave while the boy radiated his .

Nothing seemed to go as planned. The dragon actually surprised them which was amazing considering its size. Inuyasha was unable to summon the wind scar so the backlash wave wasout of the question. The boy was almost catatonic with fear. Inuyasha had to whisk the boy out of the way as multiple heads snapped at them both. The only good thing was that the more fear that the boy felt the more his aura radiated that blinding blue. Inuyasha had to be careful not to look directly at him or he would have been blinded also.

The dragon followed him. Finally, they reached the valley where the humans were being baked inthe ovens. Inuyasha had an idea. He would fly into one oven and out the dragon would enter one Inuyasha would come out the other end and raise around to hit the dragon with adamant barrage from the other end.

His sword began to change on its own. It was becoming covered with dragon scales. The sword must want him to absorb the youki of the dragon. He had assumed that the dragon was a spirit and only attackable on the spirit level. Maybe he was wrong. Gradually, he changed tactics. He would chop off the tails as the dragon would enter the ovens. The sword began to absorb more and more of the power.

His confidence soared. Perhaps he could defeat the dragon without risking the boys life. The dragon was finally catching on to his tricks. It began to refuse to enter the ovens. When he exite them, the dragon was waiting for him. He found felt the fangs biting his legs., the claws scratching his stomach, the breath searing his body. If not for the fire rat robe he would already be dead. He had to retreat.

He flew back to where the boy was and grabbed him. The boy was still in a state of shock . They would have to find a new approach. Their present plan of action had not worked. At least the dragon was not following them. It seemed to be stuck within a certain perimeter. This must be due to its guardian role. It could not stray further without allowing access to Kikyou. At least he knew the general area in which Kikyou was being kept. She must be within one of the ovens. He had gone through many of them yet had not seen her.

The boy's confidence was shot. Somehow he must be made to believe that what happened was not his fault. He needed to believe that he could kill the dragon. Until he overcame that fear the boy would not believe in himself. To distract the boy he again had him practice the katas. Although they were worthless against the dragon, they would calm the boy and help him forget his fear.

Eventually, the boy tired and finally slept. Inuyasha put his fire rat robe around the boy and comforted him. He knew how the boy having lost his own mother at a very young age. It had not been easy. Running from mobs. Chased by youkai. Never being able to sleep without fear.

He would never allow the boy to grow up in this manner. Kikyou would be returned to her shrine. They would have to see where it went from there. He wished that Kikyou had told him.

The boy was his also. He should have been allowed to share the boys life while he grew up instead of being presented with this boy who was almost a man. Somehow he would have defended him against the kami.

Instead he had wasted all of those years as guard dog for his brother. In the end he had given in to temptation with Kagome. He deserved all of their hatred . His behavior had been dishonorable.

He was glad that Tokuagawa and the old man had been there to save him. His welcome at the Western Shiro had been worn out., especially with Kagome. It was not a place where he expected to return anytime soon if he ever got out of Naraka.

His resolve stiffened. Somehow, he would take down the dragon. Kikyou would be saved. The boy and his mother would be reunited. His fate was irrelevant. His focus was on the dragon. He was going down.

He took the boy to the entrance of one of the ovens and waited. The boy would be the bait to bring out the beast from its hiding place. Sure enough soon the beast appeared. The snarly eight headed dragon snarled and whipped its eight tails at the boy.

Inuyasha intercepted it. The kenastu of his sword flared against the mighty beast. He kicked the boy out of the way of one of heads. He was more able to absorb the fangs of the beast than his son. The boy sat somewhat stunned on the ground as his father punished the beast first with fire from the asura, then the pure kenatsu of the sword stroke. followed attempts to strike at the youkatsu of the beast.

Finally the boy raised himself as one of the heads aimed straight for him. His aura flashed in the beasts eyes and blinded it moment. The boy struck. The blade penetrated one of the eyes of the beast. The dragon jerked back in pain. The sword was now stuck in its eye. The beast was flailing around trying to remove the sword.

Inuyasha saw the danger to Kami no ko who stood bewildered without his weapon. He grabbed the boy and took him away from the immediate vicinity of the dragon. The dragon tried to follow but Inuyasha intercepted him. He pulled the sword from the dragon's eye despite all of the pain that it caused to him. It was the boy's only weapon. He could not allow the boy to be completely defenseless. At last he was able to outdistance the ponderous beast and return the weapon to Kami no ko.

His fire rat was in tatters and his arm was blackened. Now he understood how Sesshoumaru felt. The weapon was meant only for the kami. The boy would have to fight with it in order for them to win. A plan occurred to him. He quickly explained it to the boy. He would play hide and seek in the ovens with the dragon. Each time the dragon emerged the boy would attack the distracted dragon and chop on it heads off. When it turned to attack the boy, Inuyasha would draw it off again until the beast was finally dead.

As with all plans this one had flaws. It depended on the boy not being eaten. It assumed that he could lure the beast away from the boy. The boy had blooded it. Surely it would remember who had injured it. He had to distract from the boy. He flamed it to no avail. The lightning of the Gorashi sizzled on its hide. At last he was able to cut. It flinched protecting its youkatsu. Several tails dropped off and he seared them with the flames from the asura. The beast was his. Again it chased him through the ovens until finally he reached the one where his son was waiting. He darted through the superhot flames and out the other side. He had gained enough time to maneuver above the oven. He threw the fire rat robe to his son who quickly donned it.

Just as the beast was about to emerge he struck. He put all of his strength into one final swing. All of Tetsusaiga's power was centered on a single spot. The oven collapsed on itself. belching forth flames from all sides. Inuyasha smiled. The dragon was trapped. Several of heads which had emerged from the oven hung limply from mouth of the crumpled oven.

"Now" he yelled to Kami no ko. The boy emerged from the shock of taking a full blast from the ovens and walked over to the dragon and begin to cut his heads off. The process took a little over an hour. Inuyasha watched as the boy removed decapitated the crushed reptile. The blood flowed over the plain like a river.

At least this part was over. The boy would need to rest before the task of rescuing Kikyou. The fire lord had not told them what the next test was. He had merely told them that he would be surprised. That boded ill. It meant something from his past that he thought was dead was about to return to haunt.

What could hate him and Kikyou so much that it could survive in hell and be thought of as a punishment for Kikyou.. Only one thing came to mind. That was impossible. He had disappeared forever with the Jewel. Inuyasha face flushed in horror. The truth stared him square in the face. Only one person could be tormenting Kikyou.

Naraku.


	38. Naraku

The boy would have to be ready for Naraku. Although it had been over fifty years, Inuyasha could never forget the Avatar of Hell. For a large part of the Quest, he had occupied a great portion of his mind. The only satisfaction that he had received was the death of Naraku. To find him and holding Kikyou was almost too much for him.

The old dark thoughts returned. Naraku had killed Kikyou twice. Now he was the instrument of her punishment. The kami were allowing someone who had brought so much evil to the world to hurt someone who had always served the kami. After suffering so much interference from the kami, Inuyasha could certainly sympathize with her.

Naraku would not escape this time. From Naraka there was no place for him to go. It was unfinished business that needed to end at last. Kikyou could only be saved if he was permanently eliminated. The real question was what would affect him in this environment.

The boy's weapon had only been useful in killing the dragon. Inuyasha was tempted to steal the weapons powers and transfer them to Tetsusaiga. But the weapon belonged to the emperor. Such a theft would anger Amaterasu.

He could try to use the arusha's powers. They had been effective in dealing with the yamaduta. Enma -O himself had been forced to intervene to prevent the loss of his servants. A thought struck him. Perhaps there was some residual youkai in the dragon that Tetsusaiga could absorb. Yamata no Orochi had not showed any abilities other than being a large eight headed eight tailed beast.

Tetsusaiga showed him the youketsu of the beast. It invited him to slice into the would find. Overwhelming power flowed into him. He was thrown far from the oven where the beast was entombed. His hands was scorched. Such burning had not occurred since he had absorbed the senki of the Nikosen. He would have to wait till his hands to use Tetsusaiga.

While he waited the boy became more skillful the use of both swords. Since the boy was part demon and part human he could use Tetsusaiga. He had to admit that the boy was must be his inheritance from Kikyou.

Within a short time the boy had mastered Tetsusaiga. Inuyasaha marveled at the boy's abilities. Powers that had taken Inuyasha weeks to control became second nature to the boy within heartened him to see the boy faring so well. Surely, with the power of the kami behind him Naraku's challenge could be easily overcome.

They were now ready to hunt for the beast. Naraku's scent was something Inuyasha would never be able to forget. From the first time he had met after the fight with Ryuokan to his sleeping form inside the jewel, nothing smelled as evil as Naraku.

His scent was something that Naraku had teased Inuyasha with over the years. He had released the scent to draw in Sesshoumaru. His scent at the bird's nest had been his calling card to lure Inuyasha to the other world.

Now it drew him to the last battle. Naraku would only fight if he was absolutely confident of victory .Only then would Naraku confront Inuyasha. They had to lure him out.

They had the only bait they needed. Inuyasha was less reluctant than he had been before to use Kami no ko. He had Kikyou's scent. Knowing the greed of Naraku was a help to them at this point. Naraku had never been able to resist Kikyou.. Kami no ko had her scent. All they had to do was place the boy where Naraku could smell him and he would come to them.

They baited the trap and began to search among the ovens for the beast. What they found made their stomachs turn. The persons whose karma brought them were the very worst of humanity. Yet Kami no ko felt pity for them. They were all doomed to spend the majority of eternity here. They were literally being baked by the ovens and yet they remained conscious. He begged Inuyasha to relieve their suffering.

Inuyasha shed no tears for them. His only thoughts were of Kikyou. When he saw them, he knew what she must be suffering at this moment. It only made him redouble his efforts to find the beast.

Finally, they could go further. The boy was exhausted. He fell asleep in Inuyasha's arms. The heat was becoming unbearable. Inuyasha was only able to withstand it because of the fire rat robe.

Something in the kami nature of the boy made him resistant to the conditions. He wished that he could lend the robe to the boy, but he knew that it was only reason that he was able to survive under such adverse circumstances.

At some point in the night he must have fallen asleep. He awoke with a start. Standing in front of him was Naraku in a form reminiscent of a giant spider. The boy was wrapped in silk like threads which were like iron.

" We meet again Inuyasha. You will not be so lucky this time. There is no jewel which has power over me anymore."

"Where is Kikyou?"

"I have already eaten here and now I will eat her child. When I am finished with my meal I will be a kami and be able to leave this god-forsaken place."

"You say that you have eaten Kikyou yet I can still feel her scent coming from your belly."

"I have to absorb her in order to obtain her powers.,just as I absorbed Moryomaru and tried to absorb Sesshoumaru. You , I will just kill since your demonic powers will add nothing to me when I become a kami."

"Naraku. You are making the same mistake you did before. Here you had another chance at the heart of Kikyou when she was delivered to you for punishment. Instead, you chose to destroy her again. There will be no mercy for you. Nothing will be left of you for the kami to punish."

" Inuyasha. If you destroy me before I finish absorb Kikyou you will destroy her with me. Are you willing to live with that guilt. Now I have the opportunity to absorb another kami into my body. Her son will join her in my belly. Then with the power of the kami I will be able to destroy you once and for all. Our battle will be over and I will have won at last Once I only wished for her .her heart. Now. I will possess all that was Kikyou. She will be with me forever."

Upon hearing these words Inuyasha became enraged. As he saw his son being swallowed by the gaping maw, the demon within him burst forth. The sword was discarded. The eyes bled crimson and the fangs and claws grew to the size of dragons. Only one word came from the mouth of the transformed Inuyasha.

"Prey".

With those words the demon threw himself against Naraku. The Avatar of Hell was not prepared for the ferocity that swelled from the beast in front of him. Inuyasha was actually able to make progress against the legs of the spider beast.

Naraku apparently had not expected this sort of attack. He had been awaiting the sword attacks of the past. He knew that his barriers could stop the Wind Scar and the Backlash Wave. His shell could stop the Adamant Barrage. While he knew that Dragon scale Tetsusaiga could absorb his youki unless it actually cut his youketsu he had no worries..

And so he smiled as the beast dismembered him. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he regenerated his lost limbs. The only power which could prevent his regeneration was Bakusaiga and it was not here. The power of Black Tetsusaiga was not effective here because he could not be sent to hell because he was already here.

The beast found his way under Naraku's belly and ripped large holes in his abdomen and thorax. Naraku wondered if he should activate his barriers to prevent further injury or simply await regeneration. The pain was excruciating but wonderful. Somehow it exhilarated him distracting him from the task at hand.

Deeper and deeper went the cuts. Unfortunately for Inuaysha, the cuts only poured shouki and miasma from the belly of the beast until he was buried under the flood. Naraku laughed to think that he could defeat his old foe so easily.

His laughter was short lived. He could feel warmth coming from inside his body. It was if his body was being purified from the inside. The light poured out of his body through the tears that Inuyasha had cut in his belly. It began to purify the miasma and shouki bearing Inuyasha.

At least it reached the youkai that had been Inuyasha. The claws began to shrink. The fang began to recede. The eyes began to return to amber. He began to return to his senses. At last he found the sword. He was whole again.

The light continued to flow from the belly wound. It threatened the very core of Naraku. The link that connected all of his parts. When he had returned to Mount Hakurei he had retaken his human heart. It had helped him destroyed Kikyou with his webs.

His own youkai heart still dwelled within him also. Both were visible only when he was separated. But such separation had not occurred in so long. Now his body so carefully constructed seemed to be coming apart. Inuyasha was back. Thrusting with the power of the dragon, now burning with the power of arusha, cutting yoketsu with the power of the dragon scale Tetsusaiga.

Naraku could have resisted all of the threats from Inuyasha. The purifying powers which were coming from his belly were causing him difficulties. It was if the power of the kami had been placed inside his body and was ripping at the fabric of his being.

Too late he realized his error. He never should have taken the boy inside his body. The boy possessed some sort of power which allowed him to purify youki. If he was not expelled immediately Naraku would simply be reduced to his original demon and human components.

As he contemplating this disaster, Inuyasha struck an important youketsu which held his present form together. With the severing the spider form wavered and disappeared. In its place there appeared inumberable demons of all shapes and sizes.

Inuyasha smiled. At last he had found something which he understood. Naraku has baffled him for a long time. But the swarms of demons which Naraku had always dispatched at him could be dealt with via the Wind Scar.

The swarm turned to attack. When they reached a point that Inuyasha felt that he could destroy them without harming Kikyou or Kami no ko he struck. The Wind Scar came out in an unusual fashion. The strike at added the dragon fire and the fire of the arusha to the name five furrows of death which made up the Wind Scar.

He struck the ground repeatedly until no demon was left. When he gazed upon the field all he could see was a human man holding Kikyou in his arms and Kami no ko holding a baby.

Inuyasha wondered over to the beings. He could see that the baby that Kami no ko was holding was Naraku's heart. He had always assumed that it had been absorbed into Naraku when he absorbed Mouryoumaru. Apparently, that was not the case. Finally, he decided that the man was not going to hurt Kikyou so he went to over to Kami no ko.

"What are you doing to him?"

"He needs to purified of all the evil in him before he can pass on to the next life. This was the heart of the being known as Naraku. He never had the feeling for my mother that the man over there had. It will be much more difficult. I do not know if I can do anything for this one."

Baby glared at him

"There is nothing wrong with me. I am not human. I have no feelings for any of you .or that woman over there. It was me that allowed Naraku to get beyond her and achieve pure evil. Even

though I betrayed him in the end he absorbed me and we were one again. If it was up to me, I would do it all over again . Only this time I would succeed."

Inuyasha shook his head. There was no hope for this one. He would have to be purified. Nodding to his son, he finally spoke.

"Do what you have to him."

Kami no ko cried. He had no desire to kill or destroy. Even one as evil as this did not deserve nothingness. But as long as it was alive it would continue to haunt his mother. That he could not allow. At length he placed his hands on the infant. Blue light began to pour from his heart to his hands. The baby's shape wavered for a time. In the end he disappeared in flurry of blue lights and dust.

The time at come to deal with the man holding Kikyou.

"Who the hell are you and why are you holding Kikyou in such a manner?"

"I am Onigumo. I caused all of this to happen with my wish that I could have the heart of Kikyou. Now I am in hell holding the woman I have loved above all things."

These statements caused Inuyasha to go ballistic. In an instant he was at the man's throat ready to take his head. His son stayed his hand.

" We must wake mother. Only she can pass judgment on this one. She was kind to him in life, despite his evil. That is what inspired his love for her. It is up to her to determine his fate."

"How do we wake her up?"

"You might kiss her."

To Inuyasha that sounded like the most asinine thing he had ever heard. But then what could it hurt. He bent down to Kikyou and kissed her full on the lips.

"Wake up, kobito. It is time to go home."

As they watched Kikyou stirred from her slumber. Confusion shown on her face as she gazed into the anxious faces of Onigumo, Inuyasha and Kami no ko.

"Kikyou, the battle is over. Naraku is gone. All that remains is this man. You must help us decide what to do with him."

Onigumo turned to the woman in his arm's.

"All I have ever wanted is you. You are reason that I allowed the demons to possess me so that I could have you. It was me that prevented Naraku from killing you because of my love . In the end the only thing Naraku wished for was your heart. because that was the only thing that I wanted. I can pass from this world only when I am at peace."

Kikyou nodded. At last she understood what she had started when she had tried to comfort this man. She could only heal him if she healed his soul. Placing her hands on him she spoke.

"While my heart is already spoken for I can give you a part of me that will calm your heart and help you rest. Just as Kagome helped me ascend, I can help you to leave this place. You must accept your humanity and leave behind all of your other wishes and desires."

With that she placed her hands on Onigumo's chest. A blue light seemed to pulse from her hands to his heart. A smile crept over his face. It seemed that he was finally at peace. As he faded he bent down to kiss her lips and said.

"Thank you for your gift. I will always love you."

Inuyasha caught Kikyou just before she touched the ground. They beamed at each other. He kissed her and handed her off to Kami no ko who helped support her to stand. Inuyasha drew

Tetsusaiga and summoned Black Tetsusaiga.

He looked at her with wonder and wrapped his arms around Kikyou and Kami no ko.

"Let's get the hell out of here."


	39. Kikyou

The old man was still staring at spot where Inuyasha and Kami no ko had disappeared when they appeared again. The miko threw herself to the earth. The old man just chuckled.

" Welcome back. I see that you have retrieved your mate. Naraka is so intemperate. Either too hot or too cold. Hopefully, you did not make too many enemies. while you were done there. You never know where your karma will lead you after your death."

The trio stared at the old man. Inuyasha snarled at him. Kikyou bowed to him. Kami no ko pulled out the sword and handed it to him.

"Thank you for the use of your sword., Lord Kami. It was most helpful in dealing with Yamata no Orochi. I was surprised to see the beast. My mother had told me a story of how you had killed it by getting it drunk."

"That I did, boy. The sword is mine. I found it in the beast. Unfortunately, that no good sister of mine gave my sword to her worthless offspring the Emperor. Since the Emperor was not using the sword I thought that I would give you some assistance"

" Lord Kami. Father used me as bait. He was able to bring down one of the ovens on the beast. I was simply there to cut their heads off."

"And you did not bring me a head."

Inuyasha was infuriated " Why should we bring you anything? You put us through hell and backI spent the last fifty years fighting for every godforsaken fool in Japan and serving my brother. Then you send me to hell to retrieve one of the few good things in my life. You Kami have ruined my life for the last time"

Kikyou stepped into the breach. "Forgive Inuyasha, Lord Kami. We appreciate all of your assistance with my difficulty. The dragon could not have been managed without you."

The old man leered at her and pinched her ass.

Inuyasha raised his sword as if to strike " Why you dirty bastard. Get your fucking hands off my woman."

"Just acknowledging her thanks, hanyou."

"Calm down, Inuyasha. I am not harmed. If that is all I have to endure after being with Naraku in hell I will persevere. All we can do with your outbursts is anger him. Nothing we will do to him will harm him in any way."

"Spoken like the voice of reason, my daughter. I knew there was a reason that I liked you."

Inuyasha sputtered " If you like her so much, how come she ended up in hell trapped with Naraku for eternity who was trying to absorb. If he had succeeded in absorbing her, he would have become a Kami and escaped from Naraka. Did any of you genius Kam think about that before you gave him free reign to molest Kikyou?"

"Now little puppy, I will not harm your beloved. Did I not tell you how to find her? Did I not give you a weapon to kill her guardian? Did I not arrange for the lords of Naraka to assist you in your efforts to retrieve the guardian Kami which you claim as yours?"

"I did not put her in Naraka. My sister did that. It was Kikyou's punishment for having sex with you and producing a son. If anyone is responsible for her predicament, it is you, your guardian Kami and my sister."

"You are still not out of your servitude. You still bear the amulet which allows us to control you. I still have not released you from my service."

"Your little woman is a guardian Kami. She is still not released from her post. Kikyou will stay at the shrine until my sister releases her from her duty. She is in a position of honor."

"In her previous existence she deserved hell for deserting her duty as miko and protector of the Shikon no Tama. When she was reborn she lived off the souls of dead girls. Hardly deserving of ascension."

"It was only through the grace of her reincarnation, Higurashi Kagome that she was saved. Many of the Kami still wanted to condemn her to hell. Again it was your tears and her transformation to an ordinary woman that swayed them into allowing her to pass directly to Kami status.

" And what does she do with this status. Instead of doing her duty, she longs for all of the things that she gave up as a woman, sex with a loved one and children as a result of that relationship. She is treading on thin ice."

"Although I agree that I personally have played you like a puppet on a string, any action you take like contrary to myself or my sister will not do you any good. It will instead condemn the three of you to punishments which make what you saw in Naraka look like child's play."

"My sister will be coming soon to collect your little Kami. I suggest that you get your stories straight and decide on a course of action.

"She will not be as forgiving as I am. It was her will that that Kikyou be sent to Naraka. I do not think that she will take kindly that you have released her from her punishment"

"All three of you are creatures who should not exist. Inuyasha, your father was not supposed to marry a mortal and produce you. He was condemned to hell for that peccadillo."

"Kikyou. you were not supposed to fall in love with Inuyasha. That love led to the creation of Naraku. Even in dying you still retained your affection for Inuyasha which allowed you to return to this era. Even then you refused to stay dead because of your love of Inuyasha"

"Kami no ko was never supposed to exist. Both of you laid aside your duty to the Kami for carnal lusts. Kikyou went further by creating the boy from Inuyasha's seed and her divine essence."

"My sister's book of life claims to tell what will happen from the beginning of time to the end of the universe. At one point Inuyasha and Kami no ko's names did not even exist in that book. It is very upsetting to her that they are now present .in her book."

"As Inuyasha knows my meddling with his situation bothered her. Events occurred the same as they did in her book, but I made Inuyasha cause the events to happen the way that they did."

" She will make sure that no one remembers any of you. Only the priests and myth collectors will remember the Shikon no Tama and hanyou and priestess who were betrayed by it. History will tell that the events occurred exactly Higurashi's history book said they did, not how I changed them to happen. "

Kikyou was troubled by all that old man said. She put her hand on Inuyasha's arm to restrain him. Looking into the old man's eyes she began to speak.

" I know that I have failed in my duty as miko, as one of the dead and as a guardian Kami. This failure has been due to my love of Inuyasha".

"I wanted to use the Shikon no Tama to live together with Inuyasha as an ordinary woman. When I was resurrected it was my desire to be with Inuyasha that kept me going when even he was asking me to return to Kagome. Now I have failed as a Kami".

"I was denied to even touch Inuyasha as a miko. As a dead person I could touch Inuyasha but I could not feel his touch. It was only as a Kami that I was able to make love to Inuyasha and have a child with him.

"Tell what I must do to appease your sister. Just do not deprive of my son or Inuyasha. Living without them has no meaning to me."

After Kikyou finished there was a pause. Inuyasaha put his arms around both of them and spoke.

"I am the aggrieved one here not you, old man. You and your sister have been meddling with my life for the past three hundred years As a result of your meddling I lost my father, my mother, Kikyou twice and Kagome. You have denied me love over and over again. Naraku was allowed to kill us. Kikyou was killed again and again because she was not following your book "

"I waited for three years for Kagome only to have her handed to my brother. I spent twenty two years serving Nobunaga as your plaything. I was forced to serve eighteen years in my brother's service for wrongs I committed at your behest for Nobunaga."

" You have told me that you expect me serve Tokugawa now. I am willing to do so because he always treated me a man and never tried to use my powers for his own use."

" I went to Naraka to bring Kikyou out of hell because I love her. We should not be parted again no matter what your book says. Just because we are not apart of your history does not mean that we do no exist. "

" When I was in Kagome's time, demons and the Kami were considered to be mythical creatures. Even Kagome thought her grandfather how was a priest was just a crazy old man. All I ask is that we be allowed to live out our lives free of the flow of time so we will not interfere with the course of history that is written into your book of life."

Just as Inuyasha finished speaking a light like a thousand suns shown in the shrine. When the light began to ebb a woman stood facing them. Her presence was not intimidating, but Inuyasha knew he had seen her before Suddenly, he remembered. It was the old woman who had argued with the old man the night before Inuyasha killed Nobunaga. There was only one person in the entire universe who had Kikyou and himself more pain than the old man.

"You" screamed Inuyasha as he tried to escape the hold that Kikyou and Kami no ko had on him.

"Ah, yes. My sister. No one I know could inspire as much hate as she does. After all she chased me out of heaven. She locked herself in a cave because she was upset about the way that I was behaving on earth. Inuyasha remembers her from a dark and stormy night when she argued with me about Inuaysha's future. Fortunately for him, she allowed him to complete his task even though history had already named Nobunaga's killer. She simply allowed me to go forward with my plan for Nobunaga."

Amaterasu glared at his brother. " I should have killed him then and allowed history to run its course. Then I would have to worry about him, or his little slut or his bastard now. What are we going to do with the three of you. None of you exist in my book. I could put forth my hand and you will cease to exist in the world. What do you think that I should, brother? You allowed this harlot to be rescued from Naraka. I believe that you are holding the sword which I gave to Emperors as their symbols of power. You may have found it in the tale of the beast that you slew but that piece of metal has belonged to my kin for over one thousand years. I would like it returned to me. After you that I will allow you and each of these persons to speak before I pass judgment on them."

"How noble of you dear sister. Always playing the goddess of judgment. It does not suit you. You were meant to bring light to world, not spend your time protecting a future that you had not part in creating. Inuyasha and Kami no ko actually fought the servants of the god of judgment and were victorious. You allowed yourself to marry a mortal. It was from this union that the Japanese emperors arose to rule this land. They were your kin All of these people have punished for love. Inuyasha, for loving a woman that you have killed twice, Kikyou for loving Inuyasha so much that her soul was brought back to this time just to be with Inuyasha and Kami no ko who is the pure product created by love. Maybe you should not be judging them. They should be judging you."

Amaterasu scowled at her brother. "I do not have to listen to you. The Kami have entrusted me with the book of life to ensure that humanity survives in Japan even from the worst natural and manmade disasters. I cannot allow every Kami to create their own history. When I created the Emperors of Japan I was ensuring the peace and stability of this nation. I do not have to approve every attempt by Kami or youkai to subvert what has already been written even for love. Love played no part in my creation of the imperial family. It will play no part in my judgment of these people."

Kikyou knew that all three of them were in grave peril from Amaterasu. She was sure that the goddess viewed her rescue by Inuyasha as a thwarting of her will. All she could do now was grovel for their lives and hope for the best. Against Amaterasu all of their powers were worthless.

"Oh, August Heavenly Shining One. I crave your forgiveness for my offenses against you. I took advantage of the gifts that I was given to do the things that I had so long wanted to do. Please do not punish Inuyasha or Kami no ko for my wrongs. My son was born out of my need to have something of Inuyasha to be with me while he was serving his penance with his brother. I know that I misused the powers which were given to me. I have wanted to have a child with Inuyasha since we met. Fate has prevented from doing so again and again. Take me. I am willing to serve you for eternity. Just do not harm Inuyasha or Kami no ko. My mind will be at ease so long as they are safe."

"Listen, bitch. I have had just about enough of you. I know that you could kill me with a thought. It was me that you wanted to punish for interfering with your precious history book. Kikyou did not create Kami no ko by herself. I wanted her just as much as she wanted. You and the rest of the Kami have treated both of us like shit all of our lives All because we wanted to live together as husband and wife. A little happiness was all we wanted. Instead, we were killed for it. Now we try to find some time for each other and Kikyou ends up in hell. You have taken Kikyuou away from me three times and Kagome away from all because I was not supposed to be born. You are punishing us for things that are not our fault. If you need someone to punish, punish me. I will take her place in Naraka. I was always willing to go to hell with her if she asked me."

"Well, well. Brother. Look at how they beg for each other' s lives. Of course, you know better than anyone that I could care less about their happiness. All that matters is life plays out as it is written. I did not write the book of life, but I am charged with overseeing it. I have never really been angry with them. They received the punishment that they deserved. You on the other hand make me more angry than anything in the universe. Nobunaga with your help brought us to the brink of disaster. All because you wanted to play with your hanyou. What would you have me do now.? A Kami breaks her vows and has a child. A hanyou interferes with my punishment of her. Where is the justice for me?"

"Sister, I told the hanyou where to find Kikyou. He is just a rescuing kind of being. Once he knew where she was, I knew that he would go get her. I still have control of the hanyou with the amulet. He will do my will. Kikyou will do whatever you ask so long as you do not harm Inuyasha and the boy. Inuyasha now has a position with Tokugawa. We need him to protect the shrine so that Kagome can be born and release him from the tree so that we can get rid of the jewel.. I think that we should tie all of them to the shrine. I would send Kikyou back to her shrine. Inuyasha and the boy can build a castle where the shrine house will be. It will be their duty to protect the tree and the well from harm. I think that this would be sufficient penance for the lot of them. Do we have an agreement?"

Kikyou bowed her assent. Inuyasha kehed and snorted, but in the end he had no choice. They all looked to Amaterasu. Without her agreement nothing would be done.

"Fine. Love conquers all. Kikyou will resume her duties as guardian Kami until I release her. The hanyou and his son must guard the shrine so that history follows the course set for it" With this word Amaterasu vanished again in a blaze of glory.

"Sister always was one for flashy exits. You have bought yourself some time. I know that this is not how you envisioned your lives. Just do the best you can with what you have. I will be back to collect you, Inuyasha when I am ready for you to assist Tokugawa. Ask Tokugawa for some advisors who will teach you how to be a lord. You will need that education for a while until I am ready to make you a warrior again. Get the boy educated so that he can be on his own someday."

He paused and looked at the miko who was still bowing on the ground.

"Get up now. I think your guardian Kami will want to instruct you in your duties."

The old man turned to walk away and winked at them

" Take care of yourselves. No producing anymore offspring without permission."

They watched as the old man finally disappeared from view. Inuyasha put arms around Kikyou and Kami no ko and whispered, "Tadima"


	40. Lord Yasha

Live went on for Inuyasha and his family. The old man had told him that he needed to learn to be a lord . He began spending more time at Edo Castle with his friend, Tokugawa. His advisors taught him how to rule.

Kami no ko would tag along on these trips. Inuyasha never told them that the boy was his son. They just assumed that the boy was someone whom Inuyasha was teaching the way of the samurai. Offers came from all over the palace. Soon the boy was receiving training in everything from horsemanship to poetry.

Inuyasha watched the boy with pride. The boy would never be viewed as a monster. The humans treated him with the respect. Soon he would have all of the skills to be a samurai. The palace was the perfect place for him to train to be a human. It was a skill that Kikyou and Inuyasha could never give him.

Gradually, Tokugawa began to build a castle on hilltop shared by the shrine. Inuyasha remembered where the shrine house was going to be in Kagome's time and suggested the location. The revenues for the castle came from rice levy on the local inhabitants. They were none too pleased by this expense.

Soon there were all manner of soldiers, laborers, engineers and camp followers who began pouring into the area. New huts were built on a daily basis. Logging of Inuyasha's Forest began on a grand scale. Inuyasha made clear that the well, tree and shrine were off limits. He tried to incorporate them into the castle.

Inuyasha traveled to the castle everyday. Tokugawa looked at him as one of those who had fought with him at Sekigahara. His status exceeded those lords who had only come over to Tokugawa after the battle. They dressed him as samurai when they went into battle.

For the people who lived in Kaede's village he was their lord. The hanyou to be feared. He had twice destroyed their village. First when he had taken the Jewel and then after Sesshoumaru took Kagome. They had never forgiven him.

Kaede had died without seeing him again after his windscar destroyed her hut and half the village. She had understood that he could never come back to the village

Once she had worshiped him when she stood at her sister's side. Despite the fact that she thought he had killed her sister she had visited him daily for fifty years to view his sleeping form in the forest.

When Kagome had revived them she had welcomed her into the village knowing that she was the reincarnation of her sister. She even encouraged Inuyasha to help Kagome. Inuyasha responded by becoming friends with Kagome and having a very special bond for her due to their relationship with Kikyou.

When Inuyasha had returned to the village he had found Kikyou serving as the guardian kami. He wondered if Kaede and Kikyou had ever met again before Kaede died. Kaede had been hurt so much by Kikyou's deaths that they needed some closure. Kaede's grave was now part of the shrine next to Kikyou's grave. The sisters were together again..

He longed to see Kikyou again. Since her ascension he had only seen her three times. First when his mind was restored and he was bound to the kami. Then when he had returned she had secretly conceived Kami no ko. He had won her freedom from Naraka only to see her bound to the shrine as guardian kami again.

It was intolerable. She had awakened his lust for her. In their first life they had never touched never embraced. The dream of being husband and wife had been her hope, her dream. He had only wanted to share it with her so that he would not be alone.

In their second life she was free to love, but he had chosen another. Her freedom was limited by the bounds of her body of bone and graveyard soil. He had felt only guilt that she was dead because of his actions. He knew that he had loved her once, but their time had ended. All he could do now was try to protect her.

Now was completely different. She was first woman to whom he had made love. She was the mother of his child. Yet the kami still denied her to him. She was chained to the shrine just as she had been chained in Naraka. It was the kami who chained her there that chained her here.

He made up his mind that he was going to see her one way or another. She was the Queen of his nights. Just like before he could not stop thinking about her. Although such thinking had resulted in imprisonment in Naraka he did not care anymore.

He had no desire to be the lord that the old man wanted him to be. While he was proud of Kami no ko's progress, his own life was filled with irrelevant human goals and values. He was also concerned about Kami no ko. The old man clearly had a goal set for him. What was it and what would be the cost?

As he approached the grave site he noticed the lamps flickering around the edge of the shrine. They gave off almost a ghostly glow. He had never been afraid of spirits. Why should he hesitate now?He called her name. She came flowing in colors out of the shrine. Stars sparkled around her head until she fully materialized.

"What are you doing here, Inuyasha? You have seen the price for my disobedience. I do not think that Amaterasu will give me another chance. Do you wish me dead? You must leave immediately."

"I do not care at this point. You are all I want. Kami no ko will become a great warrior with his powers and his human appearance. He had all the guidance he needs from Tokugawa's advisors. I must stand by Tokugawa's side. That was my agreement with the old man. I know that it means that Kami no ko cannot be with you. He is being trained so that he can pass as a lord in human society. To do so he must learn all the skills that a samurai must possess. Neither of us can teach him this skills. You were raised as a miko. I learned my survival skills in battle in the wild. He is our future. He can pass for human.'

" So you would take my son. The one thing that kept me sane while you were gone and turn him into another brutal samurai warrior. Your friend Tokugawa is a brutal killer. He brought peace to Japan by betraying his duty as guardian to Hideyoshi's child and you helped."

" I am his body guard. It was my strike at Sekigahara that won the battle for him. He took me in when I first joined Nobunaga and taught me everything that I needed to know. He did not exploit me when I was a demon and saved him in the snow. I owe him my life and the old man expects me to repay him. I will only be released when Tokugawa dies."

" I am sorry, Inuyasha. I know that you are bound to the kami just as I am. I was the one who bound you. It was my rash actions that both all of us at risk."

" Kikyou, I wanted you just as much you wanted me. We had been denied in two lifetimes, there was no reason why we should be allowed some happiness. I do not regret what we did Do you?

I am glad that you made me a father. Kami no ko is everything I could have wanted in a son. I just wish that I was not a servant of Sesshoumaru while he was growing. I missed so much of his life. I have not desire to miss anymore. I was denied my marriage with you because of our deaths.I do not want to wait anymore."

"Inuyasha, I share your feelings. At the moment I do not know how we can act on them. I do not want to risk your life or Kami no ko's life for a few moments of pleasure. In my first life I was never allowed to be happy. After I was resurrected my only moment of happiness was when you held me in your arms as my body dissolved. When you were brought to me, I wanted you and nothing they could do to me could dissuade me. I do not regret our time together. I do not regret Kami no ko. Being his mother was the best time of my life. It made me greedy for more. Hope for more. Then Amaterasu chained me in Naraka and the two of you had to risk your lives for me You were never able to save me before. We are together again. All I can say is that we need to be careful that we do no step over the boundaries that the kami have set for us. I can create no more children with you. You and Kami no ko must be samurai for Tokugawa. I must return to my role as guardian kami for Amaterasu. We must bide our time and earn favors. Maybe when the old man releases you he will also release me."

Inuyasha moved to take the kami in his arms. She did not resist his efforts Instead , she passionately returned his tender kisses. It had been over twenty years since they had last been together.

Inuyasha picked her up and took her into the boughs of Goshinboku. It was a place that meant so much to both of them. Their bond had been formed here. They had both died here. It was the place that Kikyou had been asked to be taken when she was recovering from the giant soul collector.

Now it was if they renewing their vows to each other. They knew that they were both bound to the kami. Yet they proceeded with their eagerness showed. This was only their third time. They had not been with each other for twenty years. Their coupling was fast and furious. They desperately clung to each other like drowning men. They knew that each time they made love might be their last. The kami had not given them any guarantees, only threats for what they had done together. When they were sated they fell asleep in each others arms.

Inuyasha awoke first. Kikyou was in his lap wrapped in his fire rat robe, her arms wrapped around him. To his surprise, the old man was sitting on the branch next to them smoking a pipe.

" Playing with fire, aren't we. Didn't I warn you about such behavior. I might be able to overlook it if I can borrow Kami no ko for a time"

Inuyasha sighed. The damn old man was up to no good. Kami no ko had been progressing so well in his training. It had been the old man who had suggested the training.

"What do you want with our son. He is doing what you wanted. Soon no one will know that he is not a human samurai. His swordsmanship is better than Sesshoumaru. He is as literate as Miroku what can you possibly teach him."

" He is half kami. Yet he knows nothing of his heritage. We are his future .not you. You are both limited. Kikyou is limited as a guardian kami. You are limited by being the bodyguard to Tokugawa. He will surpass both of you. I must show him his powers and allow him to develop. them. Now Kikyou needs to get back to the shrine before Amaterasu awakens and finds her gone. You need to get to Edo Castle. Your master will leave today for Kyoto to invested as shogun. I may drop by. This is a day that we have both worked for so long. Do not screw this up. Your brother and his mate will be there. Hands off of both of them. Sesshoumaru will be with the rest of Western lords who did not assist him at Sekigahara. You may get some satisfaction in seeing them grovel before Tokugawa in order to keep their .lands while you are in a place of honor. I will give conceal you while you are there. Tokugawa and his party will no who you are, but Sesshoumaru and Kagome will not recognize you. To them you will be another human samurai."

" When will you be leaving with my son. He has spent most of his training at Edo castle since his return. Now you will take him from me for Kami training. At the same time you take Inuyasha to attend Tokugawa's investiture. I have to stuck here minding the store. It is very frustrating."

"Quit whining. They will both be returned to you in due time. Tokugawa's actual time as shogun will be short. When he retires, Inuyasha will be allowed to return here. Your son needs to be taught how to perform the duties of guardian kami if he is to succeed you."

Kikyou was taken aback by this comment. Did this mean that her son would take over as guardian kami? Her life as guardian kami had been deathly boring. It had none of the excitement of her previous lives. Was this a life to which she could condemn her son? She did not begrudge him learning how to be a kami. She had so little training in this area herself. To train him for power and then condemn him to a life of limited power seemed to be a waste of his power and potential. While she would welcome him back when her son came home she knew that he would see her role as straight jacket to her newly acquired power.

Kikyou swallowed her pride and sent her men off with kisses. Her son she sent off with the old man. She knew that he was right. Kami no ko needed to learn how to use his powers. This was not her task. She had only been instructed in the tasks of the guardian kami when she had ascended. She knew that her fears about Inuyasha were unfounded. His task was simply to guard Tokugawa when he became shogun. It was a position of honor and the basis of his power.

The human mask that Inuyasha now wore would help him deal with those who hated him as a hanyou. Tokugawa had always accepted him. She could not say the same. It was her wish that he become human so that they could live together as man and wife. It had led to their death. She would not ask again.

She returned to the shrine to the service of her mistress. The time she had with Inuyasha and her son was precious to her. She knew she would have to treasure those moments because the kami allowed so few moments of happiness for her.


	41. The Man Who Would Be King

March 24,1603

The grand march from Edo to Kyoto suited Inuyasha. Everywhere people flocked to the roadsides to see the great man. Japan had waited for this moment for a long time. Although the emperor would officially proclaim Tokugawa as shogun, all knew where the power lay. For the first time in centuries a shogun would rule all Japan. Nobunaga had dared to dream of this moment. Hideyoshi had actually completed the conquest of Japan.

Neither of them had been able to do what Tokuagwa did. He had not only conquered Japan, but today he would receive recognition from the emperor and all the nobles. The loyal and the disloyal would all be here. The human and youkai. Samurai and daiymo. Priest and peasant all here to see the great man.

The road brought back so many memories. He had fought for Nobunaga at Okehazama. Had wiped out the monks at Mt. Hiei and the Ikko Ikki at Nagashima. He had saved Tokugawa at and destroyed the Takeda at Nagashino. The Ikko Ikki at Ishiyama Honganji finally surrendered due to his efforts. He had been there at the building of Gifu.

Kyoto had been a second home. Nobunaga had used him to control the shogun. It was here that he had been turned into a monster by his master. At the end he allowed Nobunaga to regain the honor .that he was denied by the kami.

At last their procession entered the gates of the capitol. Clearly although power had shifted to Edo, Tokugawa still had to have a presence here. The emperor's palace was here. His residence had been here for 800 years. Tokugawa could not simply ask him to leave. Every noblehad a fortified kuge. Surely, he must have a residence at least as impressive as the emperor.

When they passed by Inuyasha could see that Nijo castle which was located northeast of the Imperial palace was well under construction. It had two concentric rings of fortifications, each consisting of a wall and a wide moat. Ninomaru Palace was located within its walls.

The Hollyhock symbol of the Tokugawa was eveywhere in evidence. Its use had been encouraged. The Imperial symbol, chrysanthemum, was discouraged. The emperor was to trotted out to give the regime legitimacy and nothing more. Nijo Palace was strategically located to dominate the Imperial Palace. The nobles hurried to build their residences close to the seat of power.

Today was Tokugawa's day. The man who had been born the son of a minor lord. Forced to help the Imagawa while his wife and son were held as hostages, he was able to free himself only after Nobunaga killed Yoshimoto. He was barely able to hold off the Ikko Ikki in his own province.

He has outlasted the Takeda by aligning himself with Nobunaga. He survived Nobunaga's death by making peace with Hideyoshi. Even though Hideyoshi forced him to exchange his home provinces and was forced into exile at Hideyoshi's base of operations in Kyushu eventually Hideyoshi died and he was able to come home as regent for Hideyoshi's young son. Hideyoshi's son would never succeed his father. This lesson was not lost on Tokugawa.

The grand battle at Sekigahara had brought all his allies and enemies into one place. A well place strike by Inuyasha and well placed bribes of the western troops had tipped the balance in his favor. His enemy had been buried up to his neck in sand and a saw placed next to his head for any passerby to use.

Today all the mighty would bow before him. With him stood his shimpan and , his loyal retainers and samurai. On one side stood the fudai daiymo. They had proved their loyalty by standing with Tokugawa before Sekigahara.

On other side stood the tozama daiymo. They had been enemies of the Tokugawa. Today was their day to bow in supplication for forgiveness. Most of them were simply thankful that Tokugawa had allowed them to retain their lives and their property. At this point they were willing to do anything to accede to his demands.

He already demanded that they establish residences at Edo half of the time and spend the remaining time in their provinces. His shimpan was given lands to secure the major roads to Edo.

The fudai were given lands to separate the tozama. Alliances were forbidden. The youkai were to be confined to their castles. Any caught outside their domains were to be killed.

Since the youkai had not helped him at Sekigahara, he felt no obligation to them. They were enemy to him and were treated accordingly. Since the wars had ended the number of new youkai created by battles had been on the decline.

Inuyasha and his sword stood by as protection against any aggression by the youkai attending the emperor naming Tokugawa as shogun. He stood at the gate to the castle disarming the youkai as they entered.

His greatest pleasure was forcing Sesshoumaru to surrender Bakusaiga. The old man's disguise was perfect. It hid him even from the daiyoukai whom he had hated all his life. Sesshoumaru had argued that he should not be required to yield the weapon which he had received when he became a daiyoukai. Eventually, Kagome was able to persuade him that since no else but humans were armed he had nothing to fear by yielding his symbol of power for the moment.

When all the guests were finally within the walls of the castle the ceremony finally began. The Emperor Go-yozei invested Tokugawa with all the symbols of power of the Shogun. Although the emperor had no power, his role was to give the regime legitimacy. He even created his own genealogy which claimed descent from the Minamoto.

Inuyasha was bored. He had pulled Sesshoumaru's teeth, but since he was not recognized there was no joy in it. He cared for none of the lords. In his experience they were all power hungry bastards who would cut out your heart for a price. He had met many of them in the wars. Most of them did not really care about Tokugawa. They just wanted to be on the winning side.

He had no love for Tokugawa himself. Dimly he remembered that the shogun had honed his battle skills for a year. He trusted him as much as he trusted any human. From his own experience he had found humans lied, cheated and stole. He preferred the youkai who at least respected power and tried to conquer without backstabbing.

He had no illusions why he was here. If not for the old man he would be long gone. He was stuck with Tokugawa so long as he was alive. Although he was tempted to get out of the arrangement by killing the shogun, he knew that the kami could easily make his life much worse if he crossed them. So he would bide his time until the human fell over dead. Then he would obtain the freedom for himself , Kikyou and Kam no ko.

The old man snickered at the hanyou leaning on his sword. No one present realized that the battered weapon he carried could kill most of the humans and youkai present. The only person able to oppose him had voluntarily given up his sword. Since he felt like having a sword, he borrowed Bakusaiga from Inuyasha without his knowledge. He now prepared to demonstrate the power of the kami to Kami no ko.

" Watch this " he instructed his young pupil.

Slowly a cloud began to form over Sesshoumaru and Kagome. The onlookers were astounded. Rain began to pour from the cloud. Their clothes became soaked with water.

" Watch and learn"

Kagome slowly opened a small umbrella. Even though the rain pelted on both of them, she raised it over his head. He did not make any gesture of thanks, but simply continued to observe the investiture on the dais oblivious to the events occurring around.

Inuyasha had been cackling inside when he saw the cloud rain down on Sesshoumaru. It was only when he saw Kagome open her umbrella that he realized that she was sacrificing her well being for her lord. It made him want to punch Sesshoumaru and save Kagome. A voice restrained him.

" Your days of rescuing that woman are over. She knows her proper place in this time period. She has found the man she loves and her place in history. We meant her for Sesshoumaru from the beginning. You were just the means to bring her to him. I wanted to have a little fun with Kami no ko. He learned how to create weather in specific places . Just one of many tricks one learns as a kami"

" What are you doing here?"

" I am here as the guardian of Tokugawa. Without him Japan would not be possible. He will bring peace to Japan for 250 years. The Warring States Era is over. The rules he sets up will govern Japan even into Kagome's era. I may not like bureaucrats like Amaterau, but they do make the trains run on time."

Inuyasha was about to remember what a train then he remembered it as youkai which had swallowed Kagome just before she graduated from Junior High . He had tried to kill it, but Kagome sat him before he did. Although seeing Kagome brought back some of the longing he still remembered being sat. He felt his neck. The kotodama necklace was gone. Kagome had no more power over him. The amulet on his wrist flashed blue to remind him that the kami controlled his fate and would do so until he finished his duty to Tokugawa.

" So in a way we are both responsible for Tokugawa. You are here to see that history runs according to your plans and I am here as your pawn to carry out your orders."

" Not badly put. There might be hope for you yet. Just keep up the lordship training and keep

Tokugawa safe and I will make sure that Amaterasu keeps out of your hair"

A distressed look came over the old man's face as he spoke.

" Sorry, Inuyasha, here is Sesshoumaru's sword. Be sure to return it to him when he leaves. I have to go rescue Kikyou from my sister. Now do not leave until the party is over or I will be cross and might forget to save her."

The pair vanished. The cloud over Sesshoumaru and Kagome disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. One of the nearby youkai offered Kagome a coat which she declined. Once Inuyasha would have offered her his fire rat robe. That was before she mated Sesshoumaru and run off with him to the Western Shiro.

His feelings for her were still mixed He still regretted the event which had led to his ouster from the castle after seventeen years. Someday they needed to settle all their differences. But that time was not now. Sesshoumaru and Kagome were here at the directive of Tokugawa. He was here because the old man said that he had to be with Tokugawa until he died. As powerful as they were none of them had any freedom.

Tokugawa might think that he was controlling everything, but the kami were making the dice roll in his favor. Even the kami were limited. Inuyasha knew that Amaterasu was dedicated to making everything occur according the Book of Life.

His only freedom consisted of his name never being written in this book. The kami had no plan for him because he was never supposed to be born. His birth had caused his parents demise, led to Kikyou's death and forced Kagome to be born to rectify the problems he had created.

His survival and the survival of Kikyou and Kami no ko required that he follow the will of the kami until they released him from his duty to Tokugawa.

When he looked up the investiture was over. He hurried to take his place at the gate .to dispense the weapons of the youkai. When Sesshoumaru strode through the gate, he gritted his teeth and bowed low.

" Your sword ,sire."

Sesshoumaru blinked at him. Then strode on without a hint of recognition. Inuyasha took off his cape and put it around Kagome's shoulder. She looked up at him with a startled expression. Then suddenly she smiled at him and all the clouds disappeared.

" Come on, Kagome. Quit dawdling with that lackey. I want to be back at my castle by nightfall."

And they were gone

Kikyou was bored. Without Inuyasha and Kami no ko there it was the endless stream of prayers at the shrine. She had served as miko. At the time it has seemed like the right thing to do. Now that she was a guardian kami she realized how pointless it all was.

The kami could care less about the welfare the individual faithful. None of the incense smoked or prayers said would have any effect on whether your grandmother lived or you had a good harvest. History had already been written. It would happen according to the Book which preordained all existence.

Only Inuyasha and Kami no ko existed beyond the pale. The Book did not even mention their existence. Kikyou would like to keep it that way. The less interference from the kami the better she liked it. If they could just see their way to letting the three of them live as a family Kikyou would achieve the dream she had wanted when she first proposed that Inuyasha become human.

The last shrine visitor said his prayers and placed his prayer on the prayer .rod. Kikyou was glad to see them go. Dealing with humans had become much harder in her new life. Before she had tried to be kind to the children and take care of the sick.

That was the job of the miko who stood in front of her. The miko was aware that Kikyou was present in the shrine. She was not a very powerful priestess, but she was all they had at the moment. She could perform the rituals, do the dances, play with the children and care for the sick. What else did one want in a miko?

Kikyou did not notice the sunset and the person standing behind the miko. If she had she would have trembled in fear. Amaterasu tapped the miko on the shoulder. The miko fell on her face in fear. The sun goddess transported herself into the shrine to confront Kikyou.

" I warned you that you were not to have any more sexual relations with that hanyou while you were my priestess. I would have thought that your trip to Naraka would have been sufficient to alter your behavior. Now I will have to erase your name from the Book of Life."

Just as the goddess reached for the book , a loud crash was heard. It began to rain on the goddess. She shrieked and screamed. No one had ever rained on her. It was intolerable. Kikyou would have to wait. She disappeared in sun shower leaving a rainbow in her wake.

The old man and Kami no ko appeared inside the shrine. The miko was still too stunned to rise. Kikyou realized that old man had just saved her from obliteration. She hugged him so tightly that it seemed like she might squeeze the stuffing out of him. Kami no ko was beaming.

" So did I do the rain shower right?"

"Yes, you did."


	42. There and Back Again

The road between Kyoto and Edo became well worn and familiar to Inuyasha. Tokugawa had assigned him a new task. His duties now included assignments in Kyoto. He would protect the shoguns interest there. It was not as if Ieyasu needed as spokesman. Rather he needed someone to back his power. When daiymo and youkai came before the shogun they needed to know that a youkai stood ready to act as the strong arm of the shogun. The emperor needed to know that he had no power. Only the shogun could exercise real power in Japan. And his power flowed through Inuyasha.

For the most part Inuyasha found these tasks tedious. He had no desire to become Tokugawa's katana any more than he had enjoyed being Nobunaga's demon. Apparently, most of the humansand youkai had reached the conclusion that allowing the shogun control was not a bad thing. Itsettled matters. There were no more wars. There would be no more wholesale slaughtering of human or demon populations. Peace was at hand. The lesser youkai created by the wars gradually dwindled as they were exterminated by the coming of peace.

The classes became structured. No one was allowed to change class or rise above their class. The return to the rice levy stifled the money economy. Religion became structured. Persons were required to register with a local temple. Later they would be required to register with a was outlawed. Priests were driven from the country and those who did not renounce their belief were executed. Foreigners were forced out of the country and travel overseas was forbidden. Society became stuck in its narrow unchanging structure for the next 250 years.

The great sword hunt had removed weapons from the peasant population. Now the samurai were asked to leave their weapons at the gate. The only ones holding weapons within the walled citieswould be those troops loyal to the Tokugawa. Cutting off the trade with the West meant that noguns or cannons would be available to samurai or warrior priests who might use them to rise in rebellion. All of these measures made the use of Inuyasha even more fearsome. He need not fear European weapons being used against him. Although he could not use his sword against the humans, his claws could still reek vengeance against those who might oppose the shogun.

Kikyou found herself teaching Kami no ko the ways of the guardian kami. He must be taught how to assure a good harvest by protecting the rice crop from harm. She showed how to ensurethat pregnancy was not fatal to mothers or infants of the faithful It was all a matter of placing her hand in the right place at the right time. Her son had trouble with touching women in those places. Even if they could not see, hear or feel them, he could see them. Gradually, his inhibitions fell away. Only by doing such things could he become the guardian kami that the old man said he needed to be.

She would look back on these times with fondness. The boy was obviously working hard just for her. She had never had anyone try to please her. It was so cute. They would wander unseen through the village. The water in the well had to remain pure. The sick had to be healed. The village miko might be the one touching the ill, but it was their power she invoked. When the babies needed birthed, the miko would attend them, but they answered her prayers for safe delivery. At the end of the day, they had to be back at the shrine for prayers and offerings. Kami no ko would get bored and nap so Kikyou had to bop him on the head every so often in order to keep him awake.

If the miko had a particular question, Kikyou had to actually appear to her. No other could see her. That was the gift of the miko. It would be hers only so long as she retained her purity as the village miko. Kikyou had never cared for that part. She herself had longed to have a romantic relation with Inuyasha before she died, but it was not permitted by the kami. Now she was not permitted to have relations with him because she was a kami. The moments that they had captured were few and far between. The old man had protected them so far but she knew from her own time in Naraka that her punishment would be swift and brutal if Amatersu learned what she was doing with Inuyasha.

There were days when Kami no ko was required to attend Tokugawa at Edo Castle. It was duty to do so while Inuyasha away at Kyoto. Among his duties was attending to the needs of the hostages. To them he appeared to be nothing more than a young man. Many of the children were very frightened. They had never been away from home. It was clear that they were prisoners even if they were treated as honored the young ones Kami no ko found one who was not what he appeared to be. Although he looked human to Kami no ko , the dog ears on top of his head gave him away. The scent was familiar. It was similar to his father yet there was a scent which had smelled a few years it was he felt compelled to introduce himself.

" Hi there, my name is Kami no ko. I am from the village dedicated to the kami is a few miles from the castle."

The boy looked up at him as if he had rabies. Who was this strange human who addressed him?His father had taught him that humans were dust under his feet. His mother had taught him to respect all life. The result was a hodge podge of reactions. Half of the time he was an arrogant asshole, the remainder of the time he was tolerant of all people. It depended who was watching him at the time.

" Are you talking to me, human?"

" Human, open your eyes, hanyou. Do I look human?"

Aiko was taken aback. His concealment had always been perfect. Kami no ko completed his embarrassment by tweaking his ears. He felt like crawling into a hole and pulling the covers over his head.

" Why do you look and smell like my father?"

" Who is your father?"

" Inuyasha"

" My father says that Inuyasha is the worst person who ever existed. He has promised to kill him if he ever sees him again for what he did to my mother."

" Who is your father and what did my father do to your mother?"

" My father is Lord Sesshoumaru and my father will not tell me. He says I am too young"

A light went on in Kami no ko's head. Aiko was the son of the two people whom the old man had pranked at Tokugawa's installation as shogun. Not a good sign. He remembered being tossed out of his uncle's castle when he came looking for his father. Sesshoumaru might cause him significant harm if he knew what he had done. He would have to tread carefully.

" So what does a hostage do?"

" My father says that I am not a hostage. I am here to learn the ways of the Tokugawa court so that I will be able to represent my family at the human court someday."

Kami no kno stifled a giggle. The boy certainly was naive. It was almost cute. He had been dealing with humans since he was a child He had no illusions about them.

" Can you leave the castle?"

" My father promised the shogun that I would not leave the castle. It would be dishonorable to do so. I would never dishonor my father."

"So you are not a hostage, you just cannot leave the castle because you would violate the promise that your father made to the shogun."

" That is about the size of it. Here comes my father now."

Kami no ko froze what would he do. He was not prepared to meet a daiyoukai with his weapon.

For a kami he had always been irreligious. He could not remember any prayers. His mind was blank. All that came out was a croaked. " Save me , old man, already."

Sesshoumaru came up to Aiko just as the old man appeared.

"You again. I remember the two of you. You are Inuyasha's son whom I threw out of my house and you are the kami who warned to hide ourselves from the humans. You are both unwelcome. Stay away from my son. Come on , Aiko, we are required to attend investiture as shogun for the son of this kami's favored human."

With that Sesshoumaru stormed out of the castle with Aiko hanging on for dear life to his father's moko-moko sama. The old man looked at Kami no ko and winked .

"Did you ever see anything more silly in your life. A daiyoukai wearing a boa and skirt. He even has pink eyeliner. I hope you do not grow up to be like him. He is such a mama's boy. He did have one thing right. We must hurry to get to the investiture. Your father will be there. We must be there to be sure that there is no trouble for the Tokugawas and your father. Hang on tight and away we go."

Inuyasha gazed out over the assembled multitude. They were all here at Tokugawa's invitation, request, order to watch his son invested with the title of shogun by the emperor. Humans made very little sense. Everyone knew that Ieyasu did not intend to give up power to his son. He was merely ensuring that the transition passed smoothly while he was still alive to crush all opposition.

The chaos which he has started upon Hideyoshi death had clinched it. He had taken advantage of his position as regent to the 6 year old son of Hideyoshi to seize power. No one would allowed to repeat what he had done. Behind the scenes he would still wield the power. He would still give the orders. Inuyasha would still be working for him instead of at his own castle where he could see Kikyou and Kam ni ko on a daily basis.

The other reason for the investiture was to check on the loyalty of the western daiymo. There attendance was required. Their weapons had to left at the door. Sesshoumaru would again have to leave Bakusaiga with him. That alone made this whole event worth his time. Although Sesshoumaru did not recognize him under his was fun to tweak the daiyoukai.

It did Inuyasha's heart good to see him grovel before his knew that Sesshoumaru only came because of the threat from the kami, but it was still stood at the gate. The brave soldier doing his duty. All for one moment with Sesshoumaru. He was so engrossed in his task that he did not notice that old man and Kami no ko sneaking up on him from behind.

:" Boo"

Inuyasha whirled to see the pair giggling like school girls.

" Don't ever do that again. You scared me out of my next life. What if Sesshoumaru was here?

How would he react to seeing the three of us together."

" You mean that Sesshoumaru there."

Inuyasha started.

"He is standing right behind me , isn't he.?

"He looks rather annoyed because you are not paying attention to him."

Inuyasha turned back to Sesshoumaru.

"Your sword, my Lord.'

Sesshoumaru's brow creased and his mouth twisted.

"Don't I know you."

"I do not believe so, sir. I am just a humble gatekeeper charged with the duty of caring for all of the swords of every person who enters through this gate into Kyoto."

It seemed to be going well. Sesshoumaru gave Tenseiga and Bakusaiga to Inuyasha when suddenly Aiko blurted out.

"Look , Father, behind that guard. It is my cousin and the old man from Edo castle. They are making faces at me."

Sesshoumaru looked at him.

"Ignore them. They are not worth your time. If we do not cross the kami, they have promised not to bother us."

Inuyasha turned to the chagrined duo and spat.

" You were intentionally trying to cause a fight with my brother. I have enough trouble without your interference. Kami no ko, you should know that the old man is a bad influence and will do anything to screw you up."

" I am hurt. I have always had your best interest at heart. Without me you would have been squashed by Amaterasu or your brother. It was me that set your father in your path. I set up the meeting with Kikyou. That is my amulet on your me both you, Kikyou and Kami no ko would be dead now."

" I just wish that I had more time with Kikyou and Kami no ko instead of collecting weapons at a gate for the shogun. I have finally found what is important to me and yet I cannot do anything about it."

"Just wait a few more years. Kami no ko needs the training that Kikyou and I are providing. He has already received enough training to be a lord and he will be successful someday. You just need to have patience and belief that someday all of the pain you have endured was worth it and you will get the life that you always wanted."

Inuyasha bowed and the old man and Kami no ko continued on into the city. The investiture was a success except for one small glitch. Hideyoshi's son and mother refused to attend. Despite all of the threats against refused to come to the investiture. Tokugawa knew a threat when he saw it. He retired to Sumpu in Sarga province to watch Hideyori. Although he finished his work on Edo castle and his castle in Kyoto, primary focus was elsewhere. All of this work required Inuyasha to spend his time scurrying between Edo, Sumpu and Kyoto doing his masters business. There was no time for Kikyou, no time for Kami no ko and no time to play lord. He hoped that all of his time as courier was would eventually be worth because at present it seemed like a waste of time which he would never recoup.


	43. Parting Gifts

The road to Kyoto was well worn by now. This time Inuyasha was not alone. Tokugawa had brought 50,000 men to the retirement ceremony for Go-Yozei and the proclamation of Gomizune-e.

It was an auspicious occasion for Japan. Everyone understood that it the beginning of a new era in Japanese History. The country would be ruled from Edo from now on. Nijo castle had been completed and now dwarfed the imperial residence.

The daiymo and the emperor now looked to Edo for their leadership. There was a separate court which the daiymo was required to attend half of the time. They were effectively removed from their power bases. Failing to attend court was tantamount to declaring war on the shogun.

All of the players were finally coming together. The Western Daiymo were required to sign documents swearing fealty to the shogun. They all had to promise to obey the laws emanating from Edo. No longer could they harbor or employ persons who had rebelled against the shogun.

Hideyoshi's son Hideyori made his first appearance in Kyoto. He met with Tokugawa at Nijo castle. Although he was married to Tokugawa's granddaughter, Tokugawa could see the danger in this one. He was becoming a lightning rod for rebellion.

Most of Tokugawa's policies in the coming years would come out of these meetings. The daiymo were stripped of all but their most ceremonial duties. The real power flowed from Edo and its Bakfu.

Hideyori was now watched more than ever. More rogue samurai were coming to Osaka. At the same time Tokugawa built up his forces at Sarga watchful of all that was occurring at Osaka.

For Inuyasha it meant more time away from Kikyou and Kami no Ko. The affairs of state did not interest him. The kami had forged his tie to Tokugawa and bound him by their amulet. They had threatened him, Kikyou and his son. All to keep this man safe.

Inuyasha did not see why they needed his help. Tokugawa had a huge army. He had the nobles and the emperor by the throat. His attendance was required at all of the meeting.

Watching his brother sign away his rights was especially sweet. If it were up to his brother, the shogun would now be a blotch upon the earth. Sesshoumaru had kowtowed to him. His rights had been restricted. His son had been made a hostage in Edo. All to satisfy the will of the kami.

Inuyasha had no more love for Tokugawa than Sesshoumaru. It was just fun to see the mighty brought low. For so many years Sesshoumaru had mistreated him for him for his hanyou blood. Then they had quarreled over Tessaiga. Kagome had been the last straw.

The kami had made him serve Sesshoumaru for eighteen years as punishment. They knew how much the brothers had hated it other. Just when it seemed that they were at peace, the issue of Kagome had raised its ugly head. Inuyasha had fled with the old man and Tokugawa, both heading toward their destinies.

Sesshoumaru had been trapped by the kami's isolation of the youkai. Their castles were hidden. They were forbidden to interfere. No longer would they be able to influence the history of Japan. The youkai had stayed neutral at Sekigahara.

This neutrality meant that they were treated as enemy by Edo. They were forced to bend their knees to the shogun. Stripped of their weapons and guarded by the shogun's troops, they were humiliated. Those who rose were annihilated by Inuyasha. The rest capitulated.

Before coming to Edo, the old man had met with Inuyasha.

" You must be on your best behavior this time. The old emperor is retiring and the new emperor will take his place. All of Japan will be there. An incident would be unfortunate."

" What do I care about emperors? They have no power. What can they do to me? It is only you that bind me to Tokugawa. Once he was my friend. Now he sees me as a tool just like Nobunaga.".

" You are blessed, my boy. This trip to Kyoto will be completely different. You will get a chance to say goodbye to the woman you thought you were destined to be with. I have decided to give her a parting gift to show her there are no hard feelings. It will be your job to deliver the gift. Do not screw this up. You will never see this woman in your lifetime. Every word that you speak must be well chosen. The gift will make her immortal. Until now she did not age so long as she was within the Western Shiro. The kami prizes this woman. She killed Naraku and destroyed the Jewel. Something you and Kikyou failed to do. If they could, she had a ticket to Paradise right now"

Inuyasha started to walk away. The old man put a hand on his shoulder.

"Son, I know how hard this is for you. Just listen to your heart and you cannot go wrong"

Inuyasha thought about what the old man had said. If this was indeed the last time that he would see her. , he needed to find something by which she might remember him. It needed to be something which Sesshoumaru would never notice. If the daiyoukai knew it was from him. He would take. All he had was the fire rat robe and his sword. Both were necessary for his survival.

Besides Kagome really did not remember him for those things. He could hardly give his something created from somebody part. What about his promise to protect her? If he could incorporate that into an object, he could give it to her. That way he could protect her even after he was gone.

An idea came to him. An object which would protect her, but which Sesshoumaru would never notice. He just needed the time before the ceremony in Kyoto to prepare her gift. It would certainly be personal. He could only hope that she would like and appreciate what he had gone through to furnish her with his protection.

The old man approached Kami no Ko. The boy had taken to taking naps in trees. His father was such a bad influence. Somehow he would have to take the boy away before it was too late.

For now he just needed to prepare him for the gift he would be giving to Aiko. The first thing he needed to do was to get the boys attention. He shook the tree. The boy landed head first. No harm done. Always lead with your head. Then you are protecting the really important parts of your body.

" Hey, old man what was that about"

"You are getting as lazy as your father. I have some skills to teach you. You will need to perfect them before you meet your cousin in Kyoto at the installation of the new emperor."

"Why should I care about that hanyou? He was very rude to me when I met him in Edo. The things he said about father were horrible?"

"They were true. Your father did assault his mother. They are going to have to deal with what happened when they meet each other in Kyoto. You need to give Aiko a gift. It will be one which his family will always treasure. Your mother has been showing you the basics of bringing life into the world. I will show you how to create life."\

Kami no ko was staggered. The old man was a powerful kami. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever hoped that he could learn to create life. He would take the old man up on his offer not for Aiko's sake or even for that of Kagome or Sesshoumaru. The creation of life would be his crowning achievement.

" So how do you accomplish this feat old man."

" You just grab hold of their penis, think about life and pull."

"Ow, that hurt. What the hell do you think that you are doing. My mother warned me against perverts like you. How dare you touch me in such a place? And you have the nerve to call yourself a kami. A dirty old man is all you are."

" Grow up. The hanyou is impotent. You can give him a great gift by allowing him to have children. It is a great boon. You do not realize what you mean to your mother and your father. Your mother was sent to Naraka because of you. She lives every day in fear that Amaterasu will simply wipe her out of existence. Her fear is that she will never get to see you again. When you are assisting with births, always remember how important these children are to the parents. Only you then can, you appreciate what you are doing as a kami to ensure safe childbirth."

Kami no ko nodded at the old man. They began the lesson. It would change the way that he looked at life. It would change the way that looked at the world. The question was whether his stupid cousin would appreciate what he had done for him.

Day of the investiture had finally come. The trio awaited the company from the Western Shiro outside the southern gate. Inuyasha was there on official duty as gatekeeper. The old man and Kami no ko had ways of making themselves inconspicuous.

Sesshoumaru's finally arrived. Inuyasha took great pleasure in taking his swords from him. The swords represented more to Inuyasha than just the weapons. It was if he was taking the daiyoukai's power and his potency away from him. He had always been jealous of all that his brother had. Depriving him of it if only for a moment gave him great pleasure.

The old man blocked Sesshoumaru's path. For a moment, the daiyoukai's eyes bled red. How dare he impede the Lord of the Western Lands. Then he realized whom he was facing. His heart sank. What did he want now? Was it not enough that he was humiliated and locked into the Western Shiro. As if to illustrate how weak he was, his father now tagged along at his heels in the form of a dog. He knew how it felt. They both were the pets of the kami.

What Sesshoumaru failed to notice was that while he was being distracted by the old man, his beloved and his son were maneuvered away from him by Inuyasha and Kami no ko. Soon they were no where to be seen. By the time Sesshoumaru realized that they were gone, they were beyond the reach of his senses.

Sesshouamaru moved to follow them. His path was still blocked by the old man. The dog nipped at his heels. The surroundings had faded. He found himself in an environment not of this old man was now in rich robes lying beside a pool of water rubbing the dog's belly.

Sesshoumaru approached him with trepidation. He knew that the old man could kill him with a glance. All of the anger of the past faded away. He needed to know why the kami wished him to know and why they had separated him from his wife and child. The old man finally looked up when Sesshoumaru had seated himself next to him.

"So you are finally willing to listen. It took long enough. This one did not listen to us and suffered. It appears that he has repented his ways. Maybe we should keep a dog. It seems to suit him."

"What is it you want of me? You seemed to have entrapped me here for a reason. I would appreciate it if you would just spit it out and go. Your presence makes me ill. Every time you come into my life, I am restricted or prevented from doing what I want."

" Such a hasty young man. You are almost as bad as your brother. We have favored you. You have not been condemned to hell and reincarnated as a dog as your father or bound to a tree, bound to two mikos whom you could not have, bound as demon and now bound to the kami as your brother is. We just restricted your ability to interfere with human affairs. You never cared about humans anyway. Why should it bother you to be restricted to your castle? The time of the youkai has passed. You must give way to the humans. In the century Edo will become a city of one million people. By the time your mate resides there will be more than 35 million there. If you wish to survive to that time, you will heed my advice."

"And what do you offer me, old man."

" I offer you several insights into history. I am returning the history book your mate brought to your era. The Sengoku Jidai has now ended. You cannot interfere to change that history. I free your mate to tell you what will happen in the ages to come. We wish you to survive. So long as you do not interfere with humanity or try to seize power, we have no problem with you knowing what is to come."

" I care nothing for humanity. All I once cared about was power. I understand that the youkai risk annihilation at the hands of the kami if we attempt to seize power. My priorities are different now. I have a mate and children. I worry about their future. I do not understand why my mate does not age like normal humans. My son is impotent. If he and his sister cannot have children, our line will end here. It is them that I live for, their lives, their happiness, their future."

" I see that you have learned much master daiyoukai. The kami were correct in picking you as the mate for Kagome. Up to this point the kami had made preserved her by making the Western Shiro timeless. So long as she resided there, she did not age. We have decided to grant her a boon. She will as long as you do. Preserve here well and you will both see the future. The kami have decided to grace you with grandchildren. Your line will not end with your son."

" And what will you require of me."

The old man tossed two rather large scrolls to Sesshoumaru. Unrolling the scrolls, Sesshoumaru began to read them. He looked up questioningly.

" What is the meaning of these scrolls?"

" They are the genealogies of you and Inuyasha. You must ensure that these bloodlines are followed precisely. You must not interfere with any of Inuyasha's ancestors. Your mate must not go to the shrine she came from until the day after she returns to the future. Any interference in the time line will lead to disaster. The book of life depends upon you following these rules to the

letter. If you stray we may have to erase you from history. We do want you to come to the Sunset Shrine in Tokyo on June 19,2008. That is all you need to know. You will have to trust us. If you do not you face annihilation. The choice is yours."

Sesshoumaru pondered what had been given to him for a moment.

" So if we follow the course you have set out we will survive and prosper."

The old man smiled " At least you and your mate will live to see the future knee deep in grandchildren. Do you agree?"

"I have no choice."

" I like that kind of honest, hostile answer. I am almost sorry we had to allow the human to succeed against the youkai."

"So am I."

Kami no ko had finally tracked down his cousin. The nondescript hanyou looked confused as he searched for his parents. He acted almost like a lost kid.

Kami no ko chuckled. He remembered when he was like that. Running with local boys through the small village where he lived. In some ways his mother had allowed him to grow on his own.

She probably knew that nothing earthly could harm him. The other boys had treated him just like one of them. He had not grown up in a castle and raised as a princeling like Aiko. There were times he wished for that life. But both his mother and father were bound to the kami and were not able to raise him in such a manner.

He wondered if Aiko deserved such a gift. His birth had resulted only due to his mother's intervention. Otherwise, hanyous were sterile. He reminded himself of what the old man had said. Life was truly a gift of the kami to treasure above all else.

He was to be the source of life for Aiko. In some ways he would just be an instrument of the kami, but it helped him to think that just as he had helped each of the mothers have a safe birth so he could make Aiko the father to generations of progeny. It made him proud that in a sense he was to the father of Aiko's line. He made what he had to do easier.

The boy was directly in front of him. The old man had told him what to do. He had to grab hold

of Aiko's penis and hold it for ten seconds while thinking about the creation of life. It did not seem so hard. He readied his hand and grabbed. There was an instant reaction.

" What the hell do you think you are doing?"

"One thousand one"

"Get your fucking hand off my penis."

"One thousand two."

" If you do not take your hand off my penis, I am going to rip your fucking head off."

"One thousand three"

"Rape, rape rape"

"One thousand four"

"Doesn't anything hurt you."

" One thousand five"

" Meet my poison claws"

"One thousand six"

"Mommy , Daddy help"

"One thousand seven"

" You bastard, what are you doing to me."

"One thousand eight"

" You are not purifying me , are you."

"One thousand nine"

" Get your hand off my son now.

" One thousand ten."

Kami no ko collapsed into the old man's arms while Aiko fell sobbing into Sesshoumaru's. The old man winked at Sesshoumaru who winced. Kami no ko looked up at the old man in agony.

" Well, I did it. I hope that I never have to go through that again."

"No, I doubt if Sesshoumaru would let you do it again even if you wanted to. I am proud of you

boy. Unlike your father you actually did what you were told."

" What did the godling do?"

" He made Aiko potent. Your boy and all his descendants will be able to reproduce themselves.

You should get on your knees and thank him. He is the father of your line."

Inuyasha was amazed at Kagome as he approached. She had become separated from her husband and son and was worriedly looking around for them. He smiled.

She had not aged very much since she returned more than fifty years ago. What the old man had said about her must be correct. Something in the Western Shiro was preventing her from ageing.

He was glad. The thought of her growing old and dying was just too horrible to bear. The kami had done something right for once in preserving her youth. The gift would complete the process so that she would never die. He could live with that prospect.

He put his hand on her shoulder. She started at the touch of some unknown human samurai touching her person. But he could never fool her. When she looked into his eyes, she smiled.

"Hello, Kagome. It has been some time."

"You left in such a hurry that I did not have time to say goodbye."

"I am sorry, Kagome. I took liberties with my brother's mate. I abused all of your trust."

" I understand, Inuyasha. I did not blame you. There was a part of me that wanted you too. You were my first love. I would never have come back here if not for you. Now I understand that despite everything we were not meant to be. I loved you then and I will always love you, but we can never be together."

" I am glad to hear you say that. I loved you almost from the first time that I met you. It was just difficult to express my feelings. When Kikyou finally died and I was able to say what I felt, you were taken from me. I waited those long years for you. When you finally came back, I thought we could be together, but it was not to be. Those years at the Western Shiro were hard. You were so close, but since you were Sesshoumaru's I could not have you. It almost drove me insane. The closeness that night was just too much for me. It drove me over the edge. You were right to call for Sesshoumaru. I would never hurt you or take that from you against your will."

" I trust you, Inuyasha. Despite what happened, I will always remember you fondly and never think ill of you. I have seen you in Kyoto before. Yet you have never approached me on any other occasion. Did you a reason for meeting me like this?"

"Kagome, always direct and to the point. The kami wish to give you a gift. It will make you live as long as Sesshoumaru. I had Totosai combine their gift with a gift from me. My gift will always protect you. I remembered seeing you with earrings when I was in your era. I thought that such a form would be inconspicuous even to Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha held out a box and placed it in Kagome's hands. In it she saw two earrings in the shaped of a white flower with a blue center. The blue was flowing with divine power while the white had a demonic aura. A white spike and backing held the earring in place. Kagome began to laugh.

" What is so funny?"

"The white is your fangs right?"

"Yea, so what?"

"So your fangs act like a protective shield."

"Yes, it is just as if I was there to protect you. Even when I am gone I will always be with you."

The last remark sobered Kagome's expression.

" What do you mean when you are gone?"

"When the old man and I were discussing this gift, he told me that I should not screw up when presenting this gift because it would be the last time I ever see you. I got the impression that I will never see you again in this life."

Kagome broke into tears. The idea of never seeing Inuyasha again tore at her heart. She wrapped herself around him kissed him. All of the passion which had been restrained between them broke through at that moment. It was a kiss they would always remember and cherish in their hearts.

So deep in passion that Inuyasha never noticed Sesshoumaru pick him up and through him against the nearest wall. Sesshoumaru hurriedly picked his mate up bridal style and swept her and their son away as fast his flying form could take them. The old man bent to examine Inuyasha. Luckily, Inuyasha had gone head first into the wall so nothing critical was injured. He looked over to Kami no ko.

" Well, that went well."


	44. The Last Battle

Inuyasha could feel the change in the air. The forces were gathering around Osaka. Thousands of ronin were pouring into the city. The homeless and the landless samurai all of whom blamed Tokugawa for their condition. All of them were now attracted to Hideyori like a moth to a flame.

He knew that Tokugawa wanted this battle. One battle to end it all. All of his enemies trapped in one place. Before he died, he would kill them all. Unlike Hideyoshi, he would ensure his son's safety. He would fight the battle so that his descendants would not have to do so

Tokugawa had identified his enemies and systematically dealing with them. He had reduced the court daimyo to ceremonial figureheads under strict supervision with Kuge Shohatto in 1613.

He had banned the practice of Christianity with the Christian Expulsion Edict in 1614. Now he was prepared to deal with the final threat to his dynasty, Hideyori.

Inuyasha had been summoned to Osaka at last. He hoped that this was the last summons he would get from Tokugawa. There had been so much death, so much killing on his behalf. Maybe this last battle would bring peace.

The old man had promised his release when his duty to Tokugawa was done. Then he could come home at last. Home to Kikyou. Home to Kami no ko. Maybe the kami would give him peace at last. He hugged them both and bounded off toward Osaka where his master awaited.

Inuyasha was right. The old man was coming up through the Torii Gate and walking up the shrine steps. The time had come for him to depart. This time he went with joy and purpose it was time to end the charade that he had caught up in. The sooner the battle was over, the sooner he would free.

"Well, Inuyasha, it appears that I do not have to wake you after all. I was so looking forward to shaking you out of your tree."

"Shut up, old man. You know that this is it. When it is done, I will be free of you forever."

"Inuyasha, you will never truly be free of me. Just that amulet. Not even we are free in the end. We follow a course set out for us from beginning to end. I just try to make the time pass less tediously than my sister. Enjoy your time. It will never come again. Take your leave of your loved ones. It is time to go. Tokugawa awaits us at Osaka Castle."

Kikyou and Kami no ko appeared before them. Inuyasha hugged them and took his leave. They stood staring at him until he disappeared from sight.

"Our destiny will be decided soon. My vision stops with the death of Tokugawa. After that I do not know what will happen to us. Has the old man told you anything, my son"

" You know that I could not tell you even if I knew, Mother."

" I just have a sense of foreboding about the future that I have not had since I took the Jewel to meet your Father. Something drastic will happen after Tokugawa dies, but the kami will not allow me to see it."

"Do not worry, Mother. Your destiny is something you cannot change. You of all people should know that. Worrying about the future will not change one word of the Book of Life. Better to go with the flow of events and take solace in what you have."

" When did you become so wise, my son."

"It came from being around the old man and seeing history from his perspective. Even he cannot change the world in the end. You are correct that something drastic will happen after Tokugawa's death. Worrying about it will not change what will happen. Accept your destiny and be happy with what life has given to you."

She hugged him. He truly was one of the blessings given to her in this life. She would hold onto him as long as she could and treasure these times with him forever.

Kagome awoke shaking in the night. She had seen it all. Tessaiga flashing in the night. The smoke on the water. The screams of the drowning and then the awful final silence. She had been at the tomb. Watched the black smoke rise to heaven. And then Inuyasha disappeared.

What could be the meaning of her vision? She tried to remember her history. Dates were beginning to blur for her. No one had a Christian calendar. Something important was about to happen. Something that had been hammered into her in another life.

She gasped. Osaka. Something was about to happen at Osaka. Inuyasha would disappear if nothing. happened. She must go Whatever he had been. Whatever he was no, he could not be allowed to die.

":Sesshoumaru, we must go to Osaka. Something is about to happen to Inuyasha. He is about to disappear. We must stop it from happening."

Sesshoumaru gazed at her. wondering what she had seen in her dreams. The book he had been given described events as they unfolded. While he was not sure what would happen to Inuyasha

he did know what would happen at Osaka. The old man had warned him to stay away. Kagome and his children were his future. They must be protected at all costs even from the kami.

"Kagome, the kami have Inuyasha under their protection. Nothing will happen to him so long as that is true. All we can do is hope the kami know what they are doing and trust in their will."

Sesshoumaru reached out and pulled Kagome to him. Gradually she calmed and slumbered. Damn that half-breed. He still had the ability to drive his mate to distraction. The sooner the kami got rid of him the better he would feel.

Tokugawa looked from his conclave to see the arrival of the old man and Inuyasha. Sometimes it hurt his pride to have to rely on the aid of the kami and their pet half-demon.

He had maneuvered Hideyori into this confrontation so skillfully. Taking offense to an ambiguous statement on a bell which was being dedicated. Hideyori had tried apologizing Tokugawa had refused his apology and replied with a list of demands which included the surrender of Osaka Castle. As Tokugawa anticipated. Osaka armed for war. Tokugawa immediately set in motion the siege plans which he had prepared for so long

He had twice the number of troops that Hideyori had. What could stop him? And yet it did. The moat and the earthworks at Sanada-maru which were used for counterattacks against the besiegers still held him back. It was midwinter and still he had not achieved his goal. Soon his troops would have to pull back to Sarga leaving Hideyori unscathed.

He now knew why the old man had brought Inuyasha to him. The hanyou could furnish him with firepower equal to twenty Europeans cannons. They would be directed against the castle. From experience he knew that the great sword hated to kill humans. It would be useless to direct Inuyasha to kill the defenders of the earthworks. But the walls had no such protection.

He approached Inuyasha with his proposal. The hanyou looked to the old man who nodded his assent. Inuyasha set to work. The walls were hit by blasts of the wind scar over and over again. When he finally tired. Tokugawa would bring up his seventeen European cannons to continue the assault.

Finally, the defenders cracked. The endless pounding had frightened Hideyori's mother. She begged her son to negotiate. Reluctantly, he approached Tokugawa. He knew that Tokugawa would take advantage of the negotiations, but what could he do. His mother would not give him any peace.

The negotiations went exactly as Tokugawa had anticipated. Hideyori agreed not to rise in rebellion and allowed the moat to be filled in. Tokugawa had Hideyori exactly where he wanted him. Hideyori would be weakened by these conditions. It would also force Hideyori into open rebellion when he realized that Tokugawa was using the conditions to take the castle.

Tokugawa and the old man were amused watching Inuyasha filling the moat. He would use Tessaiga to dig large amounts of sand and carry the sand to the moat in great containers prepared by his men.

The sight of the hanyou engaged in the monumental task caused great consternation among the defenders of the castle. At night men would sneak out the castle to undo what Inuyasha had done. During the day the defenders would fire spears and arrows at Inuyasha. They realized after a few days that they had no hope.

The only effect that all of this had was to make Inuyasha work twice as hard to finish his task. Day and night he worked until the task was finally finished. The moat was completely filled. The castle walls themselves could be directly approached. Hideyori now realized that his only hope lay in attacking the besiegers.

The attacks began in April. They were able to clear the besiegers, but by June when the Eastern Army arrived, the situation stabilized. The army had forced its way through the fog and mountain side at Do-myo-ji. Hideyoi's commander was forced into the castle despite a late sally from Hideyori himself. The entire attack had lost him two of his best commanders and driven off one of his best allies.

The castle was soon ablaze. Inuyasha resumed his task of pounding the walls. Soon nothing remained of walls of the mightiest castle in Japan. Only four days after Hideyori had retreated to the castle, the battle was over.

Hideyori and his mother (the niece of Oda Nobunga) chose seppaku. Tokugawa's grandchild, and Hideyori's wife Princess Sen was rescued and married to another retainer. Hideyori's eight year son was beheaded while his sister was sent to a monastery.

When the hanyou saw the castle, put to the torch and drowning of the remaining inhabitants when they tried to escape the inferno in the ocean, he went crazy. He had believed that all of his sacrifices would finally bring him release. To see himself as the agent of death and destruction of humans was more than he could take.

He took on the characteristics of the youkai. Tessaiga was used to destroy what was left of the castle. He looked like a true demon causing the windscar to destroy what remained of the castle.

Tokugawa shuddered as he saw the demon complete his work. He looked like a true dezion of hell standing in the fire without fear screaming his word of power again and again as his sword completed the work set before him.

In the morning the rains came. Inuyasha finally halted his mad failings and sank to his knees. Tokugawa was still reluctant to approach him. The old man strode up to him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"So, are you finally done. If you are, we can go home."

Inuyasha looked at the death and destruction that he had wrought. Numbly, he nodded and took the old man's hand. Tokugawa smiled. It was nice to have the kami on your side. The life was little easier when your life path had been prepared for you by the gods.

When they finally reached Edo, they found it in a festive mood. The shogun greeted his father with great celebration knowing that his greatest rival was dead. The future had been assured. No

serious pretender to the throne would appear for 250 years. All of the enemies had been vanquished. Tokugawa. could finally rest in peace. He had never needed to brag about what he did because in the end he had backed it up by outlasting all of his opponents.

Tokugawa's death occurred one year after the last battle. Before he died, he made his reforms final in the Buke Shohatto which bound the warrior houses with a code of conduct which governed them until 1867. The last enemies had been conquered, his dynasty had been secured, he had nothing left to do but die.

Inuyasha and the old man wandered back from the burial at Kuno-zan To-sho--gu-, a Shinto shrine located in the traditional homeland of Tokugawa before he set out on his life's adventure.

They were both silent until they finally reached Kikyou's shrine. Finally, Inuyasha could take it no longer.

" What did it all mean, old man? Why was I required to be the slave of this monster? Explain it all to me, please."

" You are presumptuous young man," the old man chuckled. "No one else in Japan would demand the 'why' of things from the kami. But then you were never a person who accepted things as they were."

" I still need to know. Was all the suffering worth it? Was some important end achieved?"

" Think of it this way. You helped create history. Events unfolded exactly as they were supposed to. Japan is secured for another 250 years. With Tokugawa the kami were able to freeze events in

the human world in order to stabilize Japan. Before him wars were rampant. There was never a

warlord strong enough to control everything. Tokugawa was not strong enough to win the battle by himself. He needed Nobunaga and Hideyoshi to clear the chaff away. Now the youkai and the daimyo are no longer a threat. Christianity no longer threatens to wipe out the worship of the kami. Everyone is required to sign up at their local temple and shrine. Society has been frozen in place. We achieved what we wanted to."

"How do I fit into all of this?"

" You were no supposed to be born. Your father and mother were punished for you. Your interference with Kikyou. got you both killed and led to the creation of Naraku . We had to send Kagome back to correct things. She was never intended for you. You do not even exist in the Book of Life. Yet you kept appearing. Forcing us to correct your interference with our plans. We had to forcibly separate you from Kagome. Your decision to join Nobunaga as a reaction was not anticipated. It took a lot of resources to control you and reach our desired outcome. That is why we had took control of you. Once we had control of you, you could not cause anymore harm and we could use to reach our desired outcome Forcing you to serve your brother and Tokugawa was just the icing on the cake."

"What happens now? You said that when Tokugawa died that you would be release me."

"The kami are pleased with what you have done. They are willing to forgive and forget. You will

see when we get to the shrine."

At last they reached the shrine. Kikyou and Kam no ko were summoned before the old man. Inuyasha held them to him as he assured them that he was finally home for good. The old man merely smiled. Finally, Inuyasha turned to him.

" OK, old man, release me already."

The old man grabbed Inuyasha's amulet and pulled.

" Inuyasha, I release you and grant your wish."


	45. Oh, the Humanity

" Inuyasha, you could become human, if you used the Shikon no tama."

The words from so long ago came back in a flash to haunt him. He had not thought of them in so long. He had not been human for a day in nearly fifty years. Kikyou had not been human for more than one hundred years. Neither of them had thought about those days since Kikyou's body dissolved in his arms.

At that time she proclaimed that she had become an ordinary woman. Becoming an ordinary woman had been Kikyou's goal. She told Inuyasha that if the Jewel disappeared when his wish to become human was granted that she could give up her duties as protector of the Sacred Jewel and become an ordinary woman.

All of those dreams and all of those wishes had died with them so long ago. Why was the old man saying that he was prepared to grant their wishes unless he was going to make them human?

The original desire to become human had proved disastrous. They had both died as a no longer had any desire to become human. Kikyou had ascended. She had to die two horrible deaths to reach her present position. Inuyasha did not want her to have to suffer anymore. He would simply not permit the old man to carry out his plan.

How could this be their reward for their suffering? Kikyou had been the servant of the kami before Inuyasha even met her. The endless fighting over the Jewel had taken such a toll that she had finally asked out of the fray. I

Instead of allowing her to become human then she had died of her wounds to protect the jewel. In her revival she became a revenant feeding off the souls of dead girls. When Kagome saved her soul she was allowed to ascend. She was forced to serve as the guardian kami of her own shrine.

She dared to defy the kami by having a child with Inuyasha. In retribution she was sent to Naraka. Though Kami no ko and Inuyasha were able to release she had been imprisoned in the bottom layer of Naraka where the greatest suffering was endured for the longest time.

Now they were both offered the humanity that they had wanted so long ago. The kami had made them suffer every second of their lives up to this point. Inuyasha could only see the downside of the gift which the old man was offering.

They had made him suffer so much. The kami had killed his mother and father for defying had wandered friendless and alone for more than one hundred years until he heard about Kikyou and the sacred Jewel. That meeting had not turned out well. He had spent fifty years sealed to a tree for his sins. The quest for the Jewel seemed to have redeemed himself and Kikyou. She ascended. Naraku and the Jewel were destroyed.

Instead of getting his reward Kagome was dragged away from him for three years. Just when Kagome had just come back to him she was snatched away by Sesshoumaru forever

His separation from Kagome was followed by twenty-two years of service for Nobunaga including eleven years in which his demon was in control, seventeen years in his brother's service and sixteen years under the control of Nobunaga. The kami had bound him first with Kagome's kotodama and now with Kikyou's amulet.

He should be grateful that the old man was going to release him from the service of the kami. It was old man he feared. Somehow every time the kami did something for him they expected something in return. His life had been a living hell to this point. Surely, life as human could not be any worse than it was. Still, he had his doubts.

Somehow the kami had the ability to bring rain into every life that they touched no matter how much sunshine theirs was. He laughed when he thought about his analogy. The old man and Amaterasu were rubbing off on him. Although the old man was the stormbringer, Inuyasha feared the sunshine more.

If Kikyou was no longer a kami, she could be released from her duties as shrine guardian. She could finally together with him as husband and wife as they had intended so many years ago. The two of them could have more children together. There had to be a catch. The kami could not be giving them something that they actually wanted.

Kikyou's thought process was somewhat different. She had suggested that Inuyasha wish to become human so that she could become an ordinary woman and that they could live together as husband and wife.

She knew that at the time he had agreed to the plan and was looking forward to living together. When she had been revived, she had thought that he had reneged on their agreement. , but he reaffirmed his desire to become human and live together with him.

She was not sure about now. The two of them spent every moment that was allowed to them together. She knew that Inuyasha desired her as much as she wanted him. Whether he still wanted to be human, was another matter.

Kagome had accepted him as hanyou. She had seen him as human and youkai and still loved him. Kikyou now loved him as demon and human. They had a child together who was a mixture of human, demon and kami. Would Inuyasha be willing to accept his mortality if he were forced into human form for the rest of their lives?

She had resisted the will of the kami when she tried to rid herself of the Jewel. Her death served to salve the wound created by her sins by removing her and the Jewel from the world. Her reincarnation was sent back to correct her errors because she could not. Unfortunately, fate separated Kikyou from Kagome and she was forced back into the world. She still tried to carry out the will of the kami by ridding the world of Naraku and the Jewel. What she never understood was that her place had been taken by Kagome and she was no longer the guardian of the sacred jewel.

Once she accepted her place in the universe and embraced her humanity, she was saved and allowed to ascend. She never quibbled with her duties when she was assigned to the shrine until Inuyasha was sent to her. Again she found that she could not resist him and willing created a child with him against the will of the kami.

Now the kami offered her humanity. She would go willingly so long as she could be with her beloved Inuyasha. Surely, they could not be so cruel as to separate them again. She would have to hold fast to Inuyasha and Kami no ko and trust the kami. At this point it was too late to do anything else.

Kam ni ko. looked at the old man and then at his parents. He was confused. What was the old man going to do? Why was Father terrified? Why did Mother have a look of acceptance on her face? ? What was their wish and how would it be carried?

The blue light finally faded. There stood a tall man with long black hair dressed in samurai armor standing next to a woman with long black hair dressed in the robes of a miko. They appeared stunned by the developments. Kami no ko stared at them both. Were these people still his mother and father? The old man laughed and laughed until he was rolling on the ground. The trio stopped and stared at him as if he was quite insane.

" What is so funny?"

" You have to see yourselves. Inuyasha, you finally look like the samurai warrior you have been pretending to be all of these years. Kikyou has resumed her status as miko. What you do with your humanity is up to you. I have given you a great gift. I turned a kami and a demon into human beings. Kikyou is no use to Amaterasu any more so she will be have to release her from her guardian kami status. Inuyasha is no longer bound to the kami. We only needed him to shepard Tokugawa through this era. Since Tokugawa is dead, we do not need you anymore for guard dog duty. We need Kikyou to have babies. Inuyasha that will be your job if you think you are up to it. Kikyou is going to have a lot of them so Inuyasha is going to spend a lot of time in the bedroom producing them and in nursery taking care of them. I can give you some pointers on how to make babies, but since you already produced Kami no ko here, I suppose that I will leave it up to you."

" So we are just human. We are not cursed by the kami anymore. We are free."

" No person is ever really free. So long what is set forth in the Book of Life occurs according to plan things will work out well. Things fell apart when Inuyasha was born. He was not supposed to be. This created the problem with Kikyou when Naraku had you both killed. We had to bring

Kikyou as Kagome to set things to right again. Only Inuyasha screwed things up again by releasing Kikyou again. So we had to deal with Kikyou and her reincarnation as well as Inuyasha who does not even exist in the Book of Life. We have solved the problem so that Time will flow correctly again, but we cannot tell you what happens. You will simply have to live your lives as humans and trust us that things will work out in the end."

The sun shone bright through the cloud overhanging the shrine. The cloud dissipated and there stood Amaterasu as radiant as one thousand suns. Angry roiled off her like sunspots.

" How dare you release my guardian kami? She is my servant. You cannot simply release her without my permission. And you want her to marry this demon. Just because you changed him into, a human being does not make him any less a youkai. He has already blemished my shrine maiden. Now you want them to reproduce like bunnies. All of this without any consultation from me. I should turn them all into frogs and be done with it."

" Whoa, there sister. Don't be so hasty. All of this has to be done. If you consulted the Book of Life lately, you would see that what I have done, is what was done. It will all come out in the wash if you just keep your grimy paws off of things and let me do my magic."

The kami bent over the volume that the old man was holding up for her perusal. She gasped in shock and pointed to Inuyasha and Kikyou. The old man laughed and nodded.

" My mistake. I just assumed that you were up to your old tricks and that I would to bail you out again in order to get things done right. I do have one question. What am I going to do about replacing the guardian kami? They do not grow on trees, you know"

The old man pointed to Kami no ko. The kami blanched at the thought and then fell over laughing. Kikyou started to protest, while Inuyasha and Kami no ko were nonplused.

" You cannot take my son. I just get my freedom and you enslave him. I know what he is losing.I refuse to let you have him"

" It is not up to you. It has already been decided. I have been training him for this day since he returned from Kyushu. He has no more choice than you or Inuyasha. Since he has no place in the Book of Life, we have given him your place in the echelon of kami. Welcome to the fraternity son. There will be a kegger for the new pledges after we get done here. We will not restrict him like we did you. He will still be able to see you. You will be needing more and more as you get older. Someone will have to be here to make sure that the shrine makes it to 2008. History must be restored. It will only be restored if everything returns to its point of origin. Kami no ko will be fine. It is you that I am worried about. Neither of you has any experience being human. You are going to need all of the help you can get. You are lucky that Tokugawa gave you all of this land around the shrine. It will serve your growing family well over the years. You even have a son for a kami to take care of you. I will make sure that you get plenty of rain and dear sister will see that the sun shines on you when she is not hiding in her cave. Any questions?"

Inuyasha raised his hand " What do we do next?"

The old man laughed. " If it was up to me I would go have sex, but then my sister thinks that I am a dirty old man. You already have been training to be a samurai. You need to be trained to be a lord. I think that Kami no ko can introduce you to people at Edo Castle who can help you with that. Kikyou here has led a sheltered life. She needs to be trained to be a lady. My sister is no help there. I think that we can get her introduced as your fiancé at the court. that the ladies will help her prepare for her new role in life. You are still the hero of Sekigahara and Osaka. to these people No human actually knows that you were a demon. I would keep that part quiet. Youkai are not going to play any part in the future of Japan. You helped to ensure that. Just wing and I am sure that you will do fine. There are just two things I ask. That you invite me to the wedding and name your first human child after me. The three of us will be leaving you humans now. I will send Kami no ko back to you when we have explained his duties."

They vanished with flash and smoke leaving Inuyasha and Kikyou stunned in their wake. Inuyasha held Kikyou tightly as she sobbed. He had never felt blind before. Suddenly, all of the guideposts in his life were gone. He was left as helpless as a new born pup. His consolation was that Kikyou was alive for the first time in more than 100 years. He had missed so much with Kikyou before he could already wait to start producing those babies that Kikyou was supposed to have

He began to kiss here fervently when he heard a voice.

" No producing any babies until after the wedding."


	46. A Life Well Lived

A/N This is the last chapter of Descent into Darkness. There will be an epilogue. I thought that it was appropriate to finish " Descent into Darkness" here because I started it on May 12,2008. I would like to thank all of the people who have read or commented on the story over the last year. It has been a very enjoyable ride.

Kami no ko wandered through the empty halls. It reminded him of a tomb. All of the children and grandchildren had gone home. Only he remained. That was the way that he and his parents had wanted it. Since it might be the last time, he saw them he selfishly wanted them all to himself. These last moments might have to last him forever.

As he wandered the corridors he felt like he was passing through their lives. Each of the paintings, sculptures and triptychs represented some moment in their lives which was important to them or to Japan. Some he had witnessed. Some were legends,

All of them dealt with some part of his parent's lives. No need to tell people that Inuyasha had been born more than 350 years ago. The watercolor of Inu no Taisho's fight with the dragon was a classic. No need to tell anyone that it had led to the deaths of both of his father's parents.

To the observer the picture of the miko sealing the half demon was simply a legend of Edo. Who would believe that his mother had killed his father and then had the jewel burned with her body?

Both of them avoided that picture, but it had been a gift from the Shogun. He thought it was appropriate since their names were the same as the hanyou and the miko. In addition their castle had been with sight of the shrine and the Tree.

His mother had thought it amusing to collect pictures of his father fighting alongside Great Idiot was already a legend. Who knew that the demon killing and maiming thousands was his own father. His father hated to be reminded of all the human beings who had been killed in Nobunaga's campaigns.

He was fond of the Demon in the Snow, the destruction of the Takeda at Nagashino and picture of his father saving Nobunaga in the rain at Okehazama It reminded him of the demon that had once haunted his father. The kami had finally seen fit to send that being into oblivion.

His only personal memory of battle was of the rescue of his mother from Naraka. His old room had murals of the killing of Yamata No Orichi both by Soosanoo and his father. It even showed him beheading the beast.

Two persons were missing from all of the paintings. His aunt and uncle were no pictured. He had not seen them in fifty years. Their names were never spoken within their household. It was almost as if they had never existed.

The castle had never really been his home. He had lived in the shrine with his mother for as long as he could remember. When she had become human, it became his prison. He was now the guardian kami of her shrine. Ironically, she was alive again and he was guarding the shrine of the dead priestess.

Further on were his parents wedding portraits. Their wedding had created a standard for this period in history. The shogun spared no expense for the hero of Sekigahara and Osaka. They all knew him. He had been the person who ensured that Tokugawa's family would control Japan for the next 200 years . . .

His bride had been a mystery, but her beauty and grace won them all over. The design of the gardens turned was the envy of all. It created a trend among the daiymo. The era of the wars was over. The new age of extravagance was upon them.

The house mystified many. It appeared to be very western in character at a time when being western was forbidden. That did not bother the Lord and his Lady. It was the only home that Inuyasha had ever known. Who would argue with the man who had forged Japan?

Kami no ko stopped in front of the family portrait taken twenty years ago. All ten human children were there. Some had wives, husbands and children already. He stood in the back with his arms around his parents. The three of them had managed the estate for fifty years.

He had practically raised all of their children. The years of service with his mother had ensured safe delivery for them all. The sheer number of children meant that he had to take care of the older children while his mother handled the younger children.

His parents seem to know something was going to happen. They had arranged for a family reunion before their fiftieth wedding anniversary. It had been finished and hung in the great hall

It was amazing how the brood had grown. His parents were great grandparents. His parents had not aged a day in the fifty years since the old man turned them human. To the children they appeared to be forever young. The oldest children were already greying grandparents, yet their parents could have been teenagers.

Kami no ko was also an oddity. The big brother who had raised them looked about the same age as his parents. It did not bother Kami no ko. It did make him the subject of gossip. Many thought he was a youkai. No one guessed that he was the shrine's guardian kami.

He did not care about the opinion of the locals. They were not his family. It did bother him that his family shied away from him because of his eternal youth. The man who had raised all of them was now a pariah among them. When his parents were gone, he would be alone.

The family had all left. The officials from the court had gone back to Edo. That little town now had nearly one million people. His parents tried to avoid official scrutiny. Kami no ko created the illusion that they were aging whenever they were required to go to the court or to appear for public functions.

He sighed. The family did seem to understand that they were saying goodbye. His parents had taken each of the children aside and given their inheritance. The eldest was to have the castle.

They had tried to make clear that Kami no ko was the real heir to whom all of them must bow. Kami no ko had a meeting with them before they all left. He told them that he would watch over them. Although he could not guarantee that no harm would come to them he would do the best they could. All that he asked was that they return every twenty five years to the land of their birth and inform him of all the developments in their lives.

These meetings were stressful. His parents had been his rock. The one thing that he could depend on. Soon they would be gone. There would be no one to help him deal with the old man and the sun goddess. The family would look to him as its head. The eldest son would be the only layer between him and the court.

Father had managed to put aside the request of the Tokugawas that he assist them in putting down the Shimabara Rebellion His refusal to assist had placed him in a bad light. The shogun had eventually used the Dutch to bombard the rebel fortress.

Of course he could never tell them that he could no longer transform Tessaiga. Even it had worked, he was no longer willing to kill human beings. The kami had made him use the Wind Scar at Sekigahara and Osaka. The kami no longer governed his life.

Kikyou backed him in his intransigence. Kami no ko who was known to the court interceded on their behalf to prevent them from losing their property. The shrine benefitted in the end when the shoguns required everyone to register with a shrine or temple.

Today was the end of an era. The old man would come and take his parents away. He had explained it all to Kami no ko. The kami were giving them back the fifty years which Naraku had taken from them. That was their reward for their service to the kami.

Kami no ko had argued in vain for immortality. The old man had simply looked at him and laughed. The boy would never understand that humanity was a gift. Their mortality allowed them to move onto a higher level of consciousness. The youkai were doomed to live forever stuck with their narrow vision of life.

The end had come at last the old man was waiting for him outside their door. Kami no ko walked up to him and bowed. The old man grinned at him. The boy almost vomited. How could he be so cold? It seemed for the kami, killing a human being was akin to turning off a light switch. He had hoped to have more time.

" Well, boy. It is the appointed time. I am here for your parents. Are you ready to grow up yet?"

" Can't you give me some time alone with them to say goodbye?"

" You have one hour, no longer. See you later."

The old man disappeared into a puff of smoke. Kami no ko was left to face his parents alone. He knocked on the door. His mother answered the door and look at him quizzically. When she asked him what he wanted he broke down and cried in her arms.

"Kami no ko, do not cry"

" But mother, the old man is coming for you in one hour and I will never see you again."

" We know."

"You knew?'

" Yes, I was a kami for sixty years. You find out things while you are one of the immortals that others do not have access to. When we were turned human we knew that the gift they were giving us was the fifty years which had been taken from us by Naraku. We have been preparing for this day for a long time. The reunion was to say goodbye to our family. I am sorry we could not share all of this with you, but the old man ordered us to keep silent. It is too bad that you had to go through all of this worry, by yourself."

" He told me what was going to happen. I knew that the exact day, hour and minute that you were going to die. Yet I could not tell you."

" And if you could have, would you.? The important part was living life while we were here. Our life had been taken from us. What the kami gave us was a gift. We got to see generations of children that never would have born. We got to be human. This is part of humanity. They are born, they live and they die. I learned when I died the second time that salvation is in accepting your humanity. I had tried to live the perfect life, but that way is the road to ruin. It only leads to unhappiness. Although you are not human, you can see what it is to be human. You have fears, you have doubts. You hate, you love, but you do not allow these things to take away from your daily life."

" What will I do when you are gone?"

" You will carry on just like countless sons have done when their parents die. The only thing you will never have to experience is death. I know it will hurt to watch those around you whom you love die. It may cause you to pull back from humanity because the pain hurts too much, but I think that you will understand them better if you stay near them."

" I have talked to them. They will come here every twenty five years. I will continue to watch over them as best I can so that they will survive. The kami still require me to serve as guardian of this shrine. I feel so limited. To be given so much power yet to be limited in scope seems a waste."

" Now you see the kamis perspective. Humanity is not a plaything for the kami even if the old man makes it seem so. They must limit themselves and their role or humanity would simply become their puppets. It is not merely the worship that they feed off. The kami have their own joys and sorrows. Even the old man and his sister are governed by laws and rules which govern the universe. They cannot be set aside without great problems occurring. What happened to Inuyasha and myself was not in their plan. The kami had to take extraordinary measures to correct what occurred. It is time for us to move on. We have set things right again in the Book of Life, but the rent is still there. In order for the circle to be completed all must go home again. I cannot tell you more. You must ensure that the shrine and our children survive. Without that all that we and the kami have done will be for nothing."

"So I must live with riddles. I suppose that it no worse than living with knowledge. The knowledge that you were going to die has been ripping me apart for the last fifty years.'

Kikyou held him to her breast like she had when he was young. Then he thought that he was just another little boy. He did not know that his mother was a guardian kami. The shrine was just the place where they lived. Now he was forced to watch his parents die while the responsibility for generations of descendants and the future of the shrine was placed on his shoulders so that the story that kami had written so long ago could be returned to its original script. They had been the fly in the ointment. Now they were being removed. In some ways she was ready to go. They had lived the life of ordinary humans. Humans died and made way for the next generation. Having been dead before she did not fear it. It was being separated from the ones she loved that bothered her. Generations of her progeny would grow up never knowing her. Eventually they all would join her in the dust. Would she trade her life as an ordinary woman to live forever? The answer was a shocking NO.

"The trouble is that you think too much, woman. Always have."

"Your problem, Inuyasha, is that you never think about anything. You just react to the situation in which you have been thrown"

" If I did not act, I would never have fallen in love with you in the first place. I would never have given into the passion for you against all of the orders of kami and we would never have had Kami no ko or any of our children. I would never have to gone to Naraka to save you."

" But if Kagome had stayed with you , you would have become her husband forsaking me."

" I thought you had gone on to better place where you could be happy and no one could hurt you. I did not know what the kami had in store for you. For a moment in the jewel and the day she came back I thought Kagome was my destiny. Now I find that it was all a lie spun by the kami to correct a mistake that they had made. They are so fond of their Book of Life. I find that it is full of erasures. I am satisfied with the life that I was given to live with you. I would not wish for anything else."

" So you are happy?"

"Yes, Kobito. You made me happy. What else can a man ask for in his life?"

Inuyasha gazed at his son and hugged him. It was the first time that Kami no ko had seen him cry His mother moved to hold both of them for the last time.

" You take care of things here or I will have to come back and kick your butt. Don't think just because you are a kami that I cannot do it." He released Kami no ko and fully embraced his wife.

" Well, beloved. At last we can die together:" They shared one long last lingering kiss.

" Sorry to interrupt this little love fest, but it is time for the two of you to go. Are you ready?"

They nodded. The old man snapped his fingers and they fell to the ground together. Kami no ko stared at the old man.

" Is that all there is to life? That it can be turned on and off like a light switch. Does it have any meaning to the kami?"

" Don't worry about it. You will see them again. Just do your job and see that the shrine and your parent's progeny survive. Things will work out. You will see. You simply have to trust me."

" They trusted you and look where it got them"

" They were happy for the first time in their lives. That is more than most people experience. That is all that humans can hope for: love and a little bit of happiness."

" So what happens now."

" You get to stay here for another three hundred fifty years to make sure that everything goes according to our plan. After that we will see. You just worry about the future too much. It is the human in you. I will have to cure you of that. After all of this hard work I could use a stiff drink. You look like you could too. Plenty of time to clean up this mess. You have all the time in the world now."

And so on the twelfth day of the fifth month of the fifth year of Kanbu Inuyasha and Kikyou passed from the world of men.


	47. Epilogue: And the Dead Shall be Raised

EPILOGUE TO DESCENT INTO DARKNESS. This chapter is epilogue ot Desecent into Darkness. I have enjoyed writing this for the past 14 months. It is time for Inuyasha, Kikyou, and Kami no ko to move. Thanks for reading.

Ji-chan wandered over to the caretaker. He had known three generations of the family which provided the maintenance of the shrine. As far as he could determine they had been taking care of the shrine since it was founded.

Kami no ko carefully weeded his parents' graves. Their place at the base of Goshinboku must be kept immaculate. He had kept the faith and finished the race. His task was nearly complete.

The invitations had gone out to the family. The guests should be arriving soon. The old man had given him a hint as to the time when Kagome would depart. That would be a signal for the family reunion to get underway.

" Young man. What are you doing? Be careful of the altar."

Kami no ko looked up. The old man was standing on his parents graves. He sighed. It was hard to tolerate mortals. Being family made it harder since he was required to protect them.

" Honored Priest. I am maintaining the area around Goshinboku as my family has done since the beginning. The kami will never find my work lacking."

Just as Ji-chan was about to speak, an old man in a Heian period kimono ambled up behind him.

" I think you missed a spot. What would your parent's say if they saw what a mess you have made?"

Kami no ko restrained his anger. Why on this day of all days? He knew that old man would come

today. The kami had set this all in motion. They would see to its conclusion.

"Sire. Would you like a tour of the grounds? I am sure that the Honorable Priest would love to show you all of the secrets of the Sunset Shrine."

The old man almost laughed. " I am sure that this priest knows many secrets I would prefer to remain here with the eldest. Here is where it all began. Here is where all decisions were made. Here is where it shall end."

Ji-chan stared openly at the old man. He had the air of the divine and an aura of unbelievable age. If he did not know better, he might believe in the kami himself. His granddaughter might think him old and doddering, but he was still a priest here.

He was the keeper of the artifacts. It was he that kept up the practice of all of the ancient rituals. Only he knew all of the tales and secrets of the shrine

He had hoped to pass these duties onto his granddaughter/Unfortunately since she had returned from the Sengoku Jidai three years of her interest in the shrine. had disappeared along with Inuyasha.

He never understood why she could never remember his stories. The history of the jewel was there. Soon it would all be forgotten. He would be the last of his kind. No one could to carry on the duties of a shrine priest. There was always Souta

They turned as one as Kagome walked past the tree toward the well. Ji-chan sighed. His granddaughter was so sad. If only he could say something to reassure her. When he saw his daughter-in-law following Kagome, he realized that there was no need.

Kami no ko held his tongue. His time was short. She was headed for a date with destiny. He glanced at his watch. The caterers would be here soon. Everything had to be set up before the

family arrived. He simply did not have time for this.

The old man motioned to the sky. It darkened. The time had come for all good things to come to an end. As the god of storms it was his moment to shine.

The magic in the well reawakened if just for a moment. Mother held daughter in a last embrace.

Then she was gone. Lost in time leaving her mother with feeling of loss.

The old man hurrumphed " Glad that is finally over. Now we can get down to the real reason that we are here."

Ji-chan stared at them for a moment as if blinders had been lifted. Standing before him was an old man and a young man with black hair and blue grey eyes. Both radiated divine auras. How could he have missed them?

" Lord kamis I am your humble servant. Welcome to the Sunset Shrine. How may I serve you?"

The old man laughed " You have served me well by helping your granddaughter on the road to her destiny. You and this shrine have done the kami a great favor in correcting a mistake which never should have been made."

Kami no ko scrunched up his nose at that " And was I one of the mistakes, old man?"

"Yes, but I love you anyway. My sister has had you on such a tight leash for the last 343 years. No smoking, no drinking, no carousing with wild women. If you do not watch out you will be a 400-year old virgin. Once you are free, I will show how a real kami has fun."

At last the caterers began to arrive. Mrs. Higurashi helped Kami no ko show them where to set up. She could not believe their luck. The money from the shrine rental would ease their finances for some time to come.

The old man sat cross legged drinking sake with Ji-chan. It warmed Ji-chan's heart that could find a drinking companion after his own heart. He spun tales of the Shrine, the miko, the half demon and the jewel. The old man encouraged Ji-chan by spinning his own tale of Yamata no Orochi. Ji-chan claimed that the sword which Soosanoo had found in the tail of the beast he slew

used to belong the shrine, but somehow it disappeared. The old man did not have the heart to tell Ji-chan that the sword was in possession of the emperor. Better to let him live with his fantasies.

Mrs. Higurashi and Kami no ko came to find the pair. The caterers had completed their set up for the banquet. The tour buses with the guests had began arriving. The welcome sign was at last unfurled.

WELCOME HIGURASHIS TO THE SUNSET SHRINE

Mrs. Higuarashi and Ji-chan stared at the sign in shocked silence. Finally, she gathered her courage and spoke.

" What is going on?"

The old man chuckled " Why the Higurashis are gathering one last time to see their founders and guardians off on their new journey and to welcome their new master and mistress of the shrine."

" Who are all these people? Ji-chan never told me that he had such a numerous family. I just assumed that we were the last."

" Many of them are not named Higurashi, but all of them have the blood of their founders in them. Kami no ko can attest to that"

Kami no ko bowed to her. There was something familiar about him though she could not put her finger on it. The old man whacked him in the back of his head.

" What the fuck did you do that for old man?"

Mrs. Higurashi snapped her fingers " Inuyasha"

A deep baritone voice was heard from the top of the stairs " Of course he is the offspring of the half breed. How else do you think such an ill-mannered kami came to be?"

As mounted the top steps their faces came into view. Kami no ko stared at her. Behind her trailed innumerable descendants of theirs. Part youkai and part human.

He might have laughed at all the hanyous Sesshoumaru and Kagome had produced if not for the startling spectral appearance which followed after her as far as the eye could see.

There were all of the Higurashi ancestors dating directly from Kagome. Only two people were missing from this ghostly procession. The guests of honor .He punched the old man in the ribs.

" You might have told me."

":Would you have believed me?"

Mrs. Higurashi ignored the banter and stared at the elegantly attired woman with the white haired man She broke into a run. Kagome had come home.

As soon as Kagome saw her mother she ran toward her. She had never forgotten what day this was. When Sesshoumaru had told that the old man had told them to come to the shrine on this day she had wondered. She certainly did not want to run into herself.

"Kagome. You just jumped down the well. I thought that I would never see you again. Where is Inuyasha?"

" I am not sure Mama. I have not seen him in nearly four hundred years. I would like to introduce you to my mate, Sesshoumaru, our son Aiko and his mate and all of their progeny and our daughter, Sachiko , her mate and their progeny."

Mrs. Higurashi looked surprised. " I thought he tried to kill you."

Kagome laughed. " Surprised me too, but we have been together for nearly 450 years. I have no complaints. Well, maybe a few but for the most part we have been happy together."

Mama hugged her and whispered. "Being happy is all we can ask for in this life."

Kagome hugged her back and looked around the shrine. It seemed so familiar. Except the tour buses spilling out their guests, the sign which said WELCOME HIGURASHIS and the two persons with divine auras standing with Ji-chan under Goshinboku.

" is going on here? What is this about a Higurashi family reunion and why are those two kami talking to Ji-chan?"

Mrs. Higurashi whirled around. She was stunned by the sign. Could Kami no ko have put up the sign. She had not even noticed it.

"I don't know. I was helping Kami no ko get the shrine ready for the tour group who rented the shrine. I was not aware that it was a Higurashi family reunion. Why don't we go up and ask Kami no Ko about it?"

Mrs. Higurashi began walking toward Goshinboku with Kagome and Sesshoumaru trailing after her. The rest of their clan began spilling over the top of the hill and milled around that location.

When Mama finally reached Goshinboku she walked up to Kami no ko.

" Kami no ko, I would like to introduce my daughter, Kagome and my son-in-law Sesshoumaru."

" Kagome, this is Kami no ko, the shrine committee' s caretaker

Kami no ko walked up to the pair and bowed.

" Lady Kagome It seems like four hundred years since I last you yet you are just as lovely as when you ran by me on the way to the well this afternoon. The old man has shown me that we are related something I was not aware of until just now."

Kagome stared at him. Who was this person who radiated with a divine aura? There was something else about him she should know though she could not place his finger on it. Just then Sesshoumaru walked up to the group.

" Well Why we are here, old man. What is Inuyasha's son doing here? Why do they allow hanyous to breed?"

The old man doubled over with laughter.

" If Inuyasha did not breed none of the human or demons with Higurashi blood would exist. As for why you are here? You are the guests of honor. The shrine is to be handed over to you and your mate. I am here to collect Kami no ko who has been serving as guardian kami since 1616.

I think he deserves a vacation, a good stiff drink and maybe a romp in the hay with a female kami. It does wonders for the sinuses. Of course you would know all about being a five hundred-year-old virgin. If you had not run off with the little shrine maiden, you might have never got any.

As it was, I had to help things along by getting both of you drunk and making sure you slept together the night of the victory party. You should be thanking me. I am after the all the reason you are together"

They all looked at him blankly. It was too much information to take in one sitting. Finally Mrs. Higurashi tried to salvage things.

" You mean Kami no ko is the guardian kami. Here I have been treating him as the gardener."

" Luckily for you he is better kami than gardener. He has saved the shrine and the Higurashis more times than you can count."

Kagome recovered. " You are Inuyasha's son. Who did he marry? Where is he now?'

" My mother was Kikyou. I was born in 1583. They were married in 1616. He killed them in 1666. You are standing on his grave."

" Now if I had never intervened, Inuyasha would never have been born. I was the one who gave them the fifty years back that they lost I was the one who allowed them to be together. You carried my sword into Naraka. I know that Inuyasha blames for forcing him to work for

Nobunaga, his brother and Tokugawa, but he did have a choice."

" None of us ever had any choice. I was forced to do this so my mother and father could be free to marry."

" And do you regret it?"

"No, but it still felt like a prison sentence."

" We are all in prison, my boy. You should know that even the kami have restrictions on them. I may have played around with the details of the Book of Life, but in the end the story read the same."

" Kami You still have not explained why we are here?"

" You need those pointed ears of yours cleaned out. You are here because you were supposed to be here on this date. We finally have corrected the problem that was created by the Sacred Jewel and Inuyasha's father impregnating Izayoi. The circle has been closed. Time can again resume it course. After much editing the entries in the Book of Life read as they should have been."

Kagome stared at the old man. " Are you telling me that Inuyasha and Kikyou have always been my ancestors?"

"Give that girl a cigar."

" Would all of you please get off my parents' graves?"

" You are too uptight boy. Standing on their graves, cannot hurt them. Come to think of it why don't we ask them whether or not it bothers them. You all might want to stand back. And no Ji-chan I am not going to kill your damn tree. It will be here suckering people out of their hard earned money for years to come."

All of them scurried out of the shade of Goshinboku. Beyond the fence which surrounded the Tree. Waiting for whatever the old man was planning. He raised his hand to heave. A lightning bolt shot out of the clouds and thundered to earth striking the graves. The ground split open.

" Wakey Wakey Egg 'n bakey."

A swirl of light and sound arose from the hole dug by the bolt. Emerging from it were incorporeal sights and sounds. Slowly the mist began to coalesce A man and woman in the kimonos of the early Tokugawa period.

They were still translucent when they stopped shimmering. The couple stared around at the Tree and the shrine. Finally their gazes settled on each other. They rushed into each others arm. It seemed odd to all the onlookers. They had never seen two ghosts hugging each other.

Kagome stared at them in shock.

"Inuyasha"

The specter looked at her and smiled " Hi Kagome"

The old man tapped him on the shoulder. " Aren't you even going to thank me for waking you up?"

" It was your fault we were there in the first place."

The other ghost put her hand on her husband's shoulder and forced him to bow with the old man with her.

" I told you that despite all we did to her, she still had excellent manners"

Kagome remembered a different Kikyou. One that had tried to kill her, but that was nearly four hundred fifty years ago. Being dead probably had that effect on people. At the end she had been different. She still would like to know how Inuyasha and Kikyou got together and how they became the ancestors of the Higurashis, but she was probably not going to get that story from them.

" So we are all together and back at the shrine."

" Yes, it is time for you to move on. You have been occupying a valuable piece of Tokyo real estate for 343 years. I thought that it was high time that I evicted you and made way for some more interesting tenants. The dead are too boring. It is time that the living took over the shrine."

" Ain't our fault. You killed us after all. Here you wake us from our sleep only to tell us to move on. Is this another chapter in your book?"

"No, Inuyasha. The book has been corrected. Everything happened just as it should. There is just one problem. Your part in the book ended so you have to move on. I am giving you once last chance to say goodbye forever to your family."

Inuyasha stared at the youkai milling around the stairs. He looked at the people gathered at the tables on the shrine lawn. All his descendants. Even Kagome. He had known only a few of them. Very few of them even knew him. What could he say them when saying hello meant saying goodbye? Kikyou took his hand. "Just look into your heart. You will find the right thing to say."

A microphone was set up in front of the tables. Inuyasha walked toward it with his arms around Kikyou and Kami no ko. As hush fell over the crowd. Most of them had never seen a ghost or a kami before. He paused as he collected his thoughts for what he knew were his last moments on earth.

"You are all here because a mistake was made. At least that is what the kami believed. Could a youkai love a human? My father loved my mother. The kami thought that was wrong because it did not fit with what had been written for them in the Book of Life. He died saving me and my mother and was condemned to the underworld. He was only released to save Sesshoumaru from me. Even now he is forced to live in a degrading animal form. If the kami have any compassion, they will allow him to move onto a higher form. The Book was still not corrected since I still existed. The kami had found a place in the Book in a human form at the side of Kikyou. The Jewel would not allow itself to be destroyed. Instead it created Naraku to kill us. Kikyou's affection for me forced the Jewel to bring Kagome back to correct what had happened. Through Kagome Kikyou and I were revived and the Jewel was destroyed. When Kikyou died, I assumed that I was destined to be with Kagome, but that was never the correct path no matter what we thought. Even though I now know that Kagome was destined to be with Sesshoumaru, it sent me on a path to destruction which I did not recover from for more than twenty years. If only through Kikyou's love that I was able to recover my sanity and start down the correct path. Even then it was filled with hardships. Kikyou was sent to Naraka for having Kami no ko. Even though we recovered her, she and I were still not granted our freedom until I had completed my service to the kami. When I did, we were made human so that we could complete the destiny which Naraku had interrupted. I am proud of each and every one of you. You are our descendants I hope to greet each and every one of you some day. Now our time is short. The old man wakes us up just to tell us we have to move on. Kami no ko will be going with us. He deserves a break after guarding since 1616. Kagome has returned to the shrine. It is hers. It will her job to watch over the shrine. Look to her just as you looked to Kami no ko these many years. Try to get along. I go now with Kikyou, my eternal love, now and forever Remember that I will always watch over you."

The old man shrugged " O what the hell. !" He pointed at the dog. For the first time in seven hundred years the Inu no Taisho was back in his own body . He looked at the old man and nodded. Walking up to Inuyasha he put his arm around him and nodded to the old man. They all vanished in a puff of smoke leaving a dazed and confused audience.

" Well, Kagome That will be a hard act to follow. I will give you any aid that I can. Here is a CD with your family history as it actually. I will be glad to help you bone up on the essentials."

"The first thing that you can do is to remove your hand from my mate's rear end before I remove it for you."

" I always wondered if I made a mistake in putting the two of you together, you are not nearly as fun as Inuyasha."

Kagome sighed. Eternity with these two was going to be hell.


	48. A Secret History A lost scene

Title: A Secret History

Author: landofthekwt

Rating: PG-13

Prompt: Lost (Inuyasha Besides )

Word Count: 578

Warning: Character Deaths

Summary: This a missing scene from Descent into Darkness. The kami look into the future to see what will happen if Inuyasha is allowed to kill Sesshoumaru for Nobunaga. As a result they arrange the release of the Inu no Taisho from Hell and gather up Kagome's textbooks.

Link: .net/s/4287935/1/Descent_into_Darkness

They never stood a chance. The inuyoukai who had so valiantly charged the ranks of Nobunaga's army had been driven by back by fire by rank from the arquebuses. It became a siege.

The cannons were massed against the fortress. The Portugese poured fire from their ships assembled in Nagasaki harbor. The hanyou hounded them incessantly with his sword.

Still, the Lord of the Castle was silent. His mistress would not allow him to raise Bakusaiga against humans. Least of all against her hero, Nobunaga. How could she let history be changed?

And so they sat. They knew that eventually the besieger must win or retire. The walls seemed invulnerable to the cannonading and the endless strikes with the Windscar. Inuyasha could not enter due to the presence of the miko's barriers.

In the midst of this terror the demon remembered a secret. A secret hidden deep within the history books from another time. A terror which would kill 100,000 people in Tokyo in 1945.

A secret formula which would see not light of day again for four centuries was discovered instead in the tome that Kagome had forgotten in Kaede's those words would come back to haunt her. A secret so horrible that the kami shuddered to think about it raised its head and the gods of death smiled at the thought that they would be able to greet so many new friends.

The bombs were delivered by the hanyou. He delivered them in the triangular pattern called for by the diagram. The walls could not stop them. The barriers could not withstand them. The bombs exploded precisely on target. The fires burned and the troops waited.

Those who tried to escape from the death trap were mercilessly destroyed. Those who stayed suffocated when the air was sucked out within the triangle of death where the fires last they were all dead. The barriers faded and Inuyasha was able to open the gates for the vengeful horde.

It did his heart good to see his brothers castle ransacked, but he still had a mission to perform for Nobunaga. He found them huddled together holding each other at the end. His brother, his former lover and their two children.

For a moment something in him stirred. The hanyou who was condemned to the outer darkness struggled to rise to the surface. The demon swatted him down.

This was his triumph and no feeling of love for the woman from the other world or brotherly affection would keep from his date with destiny.

" Consign them to the fire."

The flames fanned so high into the night that the kami had no difficulty seeing what had happened. Their champion was dead. Within a year Nobunaga's empire would stretch from Nagasaki to Hokkaido. Church bells would be heard in Kyoto.

With the coming of the Inquisition, the tolerance preached by the Franciscans would fade. Soon the Shinto shrines would be burned and the Buddhist monasteries ransacked all in the name of the new order.

The old man signaled Amaterasu to shine. The remainder of the kami blinked. What they had seen was horrifying and must never be allowed to occur.

" So everyone is in agreement on what must be done."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The old man yelled to the Master of Hell "Release the Hound. My sister and I will gather up all of the books that stupid girl brought to this era."


	49. Leather and Lace

Title Leather and Lace

Author landofthekwt

Rating PG-13

Prompt Leather (3rd anniversary of Dokuga Contest)

Word Count 1000

Pairing Sesshoumaru/Kagome

Warning mention of sex

Summary Kagome sorts out her feelings after she is mated to Sesshoumaru

A/N A Side story of Descent into Darkness

She looked down at the Juni-hitoe in which her body had been encased. Hard to belief she belonged in such an outfit. Princess Izayoi had looked so wonderful in one when she first saw the No Woman masquerading as her, but she was not a princess.

It was all wrong. There must be some mistake. The last thing she remembered was drinking sake at the victory celebration in Kaede's village. The next day was to have been her wedding to Inuyasha, the man she had returned to the feudal era to marry.

Instead, she woke up next to Sesshoumaru. Strangely, it seemed natural to have spent the night with the man she loved. If only she remembered how she had fallen in love with Sesshoumaru and mated with him on the same night

She pulled back to her kimono to reveal the blue crescent moon which marked her as Sesshoumaru's. There was no doubt in her mind that it had happened even though she did not remember it.

The real question was what to do about it. They had agreed that they needed to get away from Kaede's village as soon as possible. Leaving at dawn, Sesshoumaru had whisked her away to the Western Shiro.

There he had left her to his ladies in waiting to make her presentable. They had dumped the clothes from the modern world and clothed her in clothes appropriate to her rank, whatever that was.

Who was she? This morning she had been a newly minted highly graduate living in a shrine in Greater Tokyo. She thought that the well had opened to allow to return to marry the love of her life, Inuyasha.

What was she now? She could never return to Inuyasha. Last night she had burned that remembered that she had loved him yesterday, but not now. It almost seemed like a dream

As she looked out over Nagasaki harbor from the castle wall, she could see her future. The Western ships docked in the harbor which would trigger the events which would unite much could she tell Sesshoumaru without destroying the future.?

The real question was where she stood with Sesshoumaru. Before last night she had not even given him a second thought. He would have been her brother-in-law, but her relation to him now was a mystery to her.

He had not kicked her out of bed in this morning. Instead, they had wordlessly gathered Rin, Jaken and Ah-un before sunrise and taken to the skies. Sesshoumaru's companions were still sleeping, but she could not.

Her future was hanging by a thread. What if Sesshoumaru rejected her? When she left with Inuyasha she had cut her ties to him. Her family and friends were five hundred years in the future.

She shivered at his approach. How was she to act toward him? She could not understand why she was suddenly in love with him. Her feelings for Inuyasha had taken months to develop. She did not even realize she was in love with him till she was ready to leave him forever.

As he approached, her heart began to throb. The mark on her shoulder began to burn. She looked up into his golden eyes as he approached out of the setting sun. The light coming off his armor blinded her for a moment.

When the light cleared he was standing close enough to spear her with his armor. She shielded her eyes and waited for some word from him which would clarify her position. When he merely stood looking into her eyes, she finally could not take it any longer.

"What am I to you, Sesshoumaru?" she sputtered

He seemed shocked by her anger. Maybe he should have said something earlier " You are my mate."

"I understand that., but what does that mean."

"We are one body and soul. My mark is upon you to show that you are mine."

"I know what I feel for you. What I do not understand is why Yesterday, we had no interest in each other. I was to be married to Inuyasha, the man I left my home and family for. Now I find myself mated to you. I am a little bewildered. I know I love you, but I can't remember how or why my feelings changed. I feel naked and alone in a strange place with no friends. I guess I just need some reassurance that I did the right thing."

Sesshoumaru was frustrated. He had given himself to this woman. It was not something he could change or take back. He understood her confusion about her change of circumstances. He now ha d a mate something that he had never dreamed of having. Until now he had thought only of power. Rin and Kagura had tempered those feelings, but it never would have occurred to mate a human.

He had feelings for Rin, but she was just a girl not a woman like Kagome In his mind things had changed. Kagome had gone from being his brother's to being was no middle ground. It was not a matter of love even though humans like Kagome might understand, it was a matter of sharing your life with another.

"Kagome, Whatever you were before, you are my mate now. I shall cherish you, honor you and protect all the days of our lives. As my mate, your standing is Lady of the Western Shiro. All others must bow to you. Our children shall brighten this house and make it come alive again for the first time in centuries. I am yours to command. My table is your table. My kingdom is your kingdom. My bed is your bed. Will you join me at our table for supper?"

Kagome smiled and took his arm.. If she had to fall in love with Prince Charming and lived happily ever after in their castle was that really such a bad ending to their feudal fairy tale.


End file.
